Lorelei's Fate
by Culinaromancer
Summary: Sequel to Hell to Pay. Lorelei needs help, and the heros must find a way to save him, or Lorelei and all of the seventh fonists will perish. Plus, there's a new Commandant that's got a plan of their own. SyncxOC
1. New Beginnings

**Lorelei's Fate**

**Chapter 1**

**New Beginnings**

**Author's Note: Here it is! The beginning of the sequel! Hope you like it. If not, then tell me how to improve it! I was going to put this as a last chapter in Hell to Pay, but I thought it would work better here. It's kinda short, but it's only the first chapter. It may seem a little rushed, also. Don't kill me... **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss.**

**Two years after the last events...**

Luke, Tear, Asch, Natalia, Guy, Anise, and Jade were gathered in Yulia City for a celebration.

"Congrats to the newly weds!" Guy exclaimed. Asch and Natalia had gotten married just last week and they were having a small party.

Over the past two years, all of them had changed; some more than others.

Anise was the new Fon Master and has grown quite a bit. She had gotten the figure she had wanted all along. But instead of the original green robe the fon master was supposed to wear, she had a pink one made, just for her.

Jade was still a colonel, saying he already had his hands full from being a colonel. Though he still was right hand man to emperor Peony and visited Keterburg with him a lot.

Luke and Asch were still the Duke's sons, though Asch still had long hair and Luke cut his short. Asch had moved into one of the spare rooms in the Fabre mansion back when they came home from the core two years ago, but soon he was going to move into the castle with Natalia.

Tear was now a God-General, courtesy of Anise. She decided to keep her Oracle knight uniform rather than wearing a God-General uniform because it was easy to travel and fight in. Even though fighting wasn't all that necessary since Van's death.

Natalia was going to gain the throne soon, but due to the fact that she was recently married, they had it on hold. She was acting more as an advisor to her father to get ready to be queen.

Using funds from Peony, Guy built a mansion near Grand Chokmah, since he is the sole heir to House Gardios. In return, the former servant had to walk the rappigs once a week around the city.

Asch had one of his hands around Natalia, the other holding a glass of wine.

"Let's have a toast before this party ends." Luke suggested. They all held up their wine glasses, save Anise who held a glass of water.

"A toast to Ivalee, who gave Asch the chance to live." Natalia said.

"To Ivalee!" They all clinked glasses and took a drink. Then Asch and Natalia wandered a little to the side of the room and began to talk more about the future. Anise started telling Jade about how she got her title as the first female Fon Master. Luke and Guy talked about swordplay and some new strike artes.

"Hey, where's Tear?" Luke suddenly asked. He glanced from side to side.

"Oh, is it your turn to get married?" Guy teased as he slapped Luke on the back.

"N-No… It's just that--" Luke started, though Guy cut in.

"Just go find her." He told him. Handing his glass to Guy, Luke rushed off to find Tear.

--

Tear was in the garden, looking at Van's grave. Her cheeks were damp and moist.

"Why?" she asked Van's grave. "Why did you go to such extremes? There were other ways, less violent ways." A tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't notice Luke step in the room, or that he strolled over to her side.

Luke was about to say something, but then he thought, _What if it backfires? What am I supposed to do then?_ He pondered this for minute.

Tear glanced at him for a moment, and then stared back at the grave. Instead of speaking, Luke wrapped his arm around her waist and stared at the grave with her. Tear leaned her head against his shoulder. They both gazed at the grave for a while.

Some things are better left unsaid.

--

At that same moment, a figure arose from the ruins of Hod. She had bright red hair, completely drained of black dye. Her long, purple dress whipped around her legs. Her bare feet floated merely inches away from the ground. She had a tint of golden light surrounding her. Red eyes stared into the distance, in the direction of Yulia City.

"_Luke, I call upon you for another task..."_


	2. Reunion

**Lorelei's Fate**

**Chapter 2**

**Reunion **

**Author's Note: I probably should have put this chapter conjoining the last one, but I hope you aren't too mad at me. I tried to make this long-ish. It's also late, I'm sorry. I tried to write more on this, but then I decided to stop it there and move on. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

"Uaaghh!" he screamed, kneeling over in pain. A massive headache forced Luke to put his hand up to his head. Tear looked back down to him and quickly felt his head for any injuries.

_Can you hear me, Luke?_ A female voice called out.

"Ivalee?" he questioned, not knowing who else could be a girl and be able to talk to him through his mind. Tear looked at Luke with a confused expression.

_Yes, you guessed right._ Ivalee replied.

_I thought that Van—_

_I know, he did kill me. _She cut in. _But I have returned to gain your help in a task I was sent here to do._

_Sure, what is it?_ Luke asked.

_Meet me in Belkend in a few hours. I'll tell you there. And, bring everyone else too, they'll need to know. See you then!_

_Wait!_ Luke interjected. _Meet us at the entrance to Yulia City as soon as you can, I know an even better place to discuss this._

_Alright, I should be there in a few hours._ The signal went dead. Luke rose from his knees and glanced at the confused Tear.

"What happened? Are you alright?" she questioned. Tear placed her hand on his forehead.

"I'm fine." he replied. He gently clutched her hand and pushed it away.

"I heard you say something about Ivalee." She notified him.

"Yea," Luke said, thinking over their conversation. "She said that she'll meet us at the entrance to Yulia City in a couple of hours."

Tear took a quick look at him with another confused expression. "Didn't Van--"

"Yes, he did," he cut in, just like Ivalee did to him. "But she told me that she needs our help with some task. I didn't get all of the details, though."

"Let's get going, we should tell the others." Tear grasped Luke's hand and led him towards the door.

--

"Hey, look! I think I see someone!" Guy pointed out. It was difficult to see with all of the fog crowding the premises.

Just like he said, a short figure became clearer in the distance. She wore a long, flowing purple dress and no shoes. Her hair was just as red as Luke and Asch's. A simple brown backpack rested on her back. She waved her hand to alert them.

"Hey! I'm here!" she greeted. Anise raced up to her and gave a big hug.

"You scared us! We thought you were dead!" the pink-clad girl exclaimed. She released Ivalee and examined her dress. "Wow! I never knew you would dress this fancy! Where'd you get it? When'd you change into it?" Anise bombarded Ivalee with questions, ranging from her dress to what it felt like to be bonded with Lorelei. (Ivalee didn't get even a word in, because every time she opened her mouth, Anise asked another question.)

"Anise, I think there's something a little more important that she needs to tell us." Jade interrupted Anise's train of questions. Both of the two girls looked up at him. Natalia stepped forward.

"You'll have to explain things to us later." She stated. Asch strode over to Natalia's side.

"So, you're Ivalee?" he looked at her. "Thanks for all that you did, I wouldn't be here if you hadn't sacrificed yourself for me." His outright comment sent Anise's jaw downwards.

"Wow," she breathed, "that was so straightforward, so unlike you." Asch glared back at her.

"Umm... Could we discuss this in a more suitable area?" Luke inquired. He motioned to the Albiore 2 sitting in the dock. They walked over to there to Noelle. Luke rushed over to her and whispered something in her ear. Noelle got a bright look in her eyes and jumped in the cockpit.

"Where are we going?" Ivalee asked.

"Oh, you'll see."

--

After hours of flying, a city was within sight. But not just any old city; Baticul.

"Oh, no!" Ivalee frantically backed up. "I'm not going in there."

"Aww... Come on! You'll have to do it sooner or later." Luke whined.

"I-I choose later!"

"No, now. Best to get it over with."

"But--"

"No buts."

"But--"

"Just do it." Asch said irritably. He had a scowl on his face, directed at Ivalee and Luke. _Oh, boy. Having another replica is already annoying..._

The Albiore 2 pulled into the dock. Luke had to pick up Ivalee and sling her over his shoulder to get her off the Albiore 2. He carried her all the way onto the city.

Anise giggled at the sight. Jade had an amused smirk plastered all over his face. Guy was just smiling and walking, not showing too much emotion. Tear kept glancing at Luke, only to evade his occasional gaze by turning her head. Asch and Natalia shared the same smile, one that seemed childish, yet pleased.

"Put me down!" Ivalee pounded her fists on his back, only to be answered with a simple 'no.' "I don't want to be here!"

"It's better to get this over with rather than handling it later." Luke explained to her. Ivalee crossed her arms in a childish manner. They climbed the steps and rid the elevators until they reached the top. Knight's saluted them as they passed. Though, if the knights didn't have their helmets on, Luke and the others would see their confused faces when they looked at Ivalee.

"I seriously don't want to be here!" Ivalee pushed on Luke, trying to pry away from his grip. Unluckily for her, Luke's grip was tight.

"You don't have to worry. Mother will accept you as her child." He tried to comfort her, however, it didn't work. Luke stepped up to the door of Duke Fabre's manor.

"Dammit! Why won't you let go?!" Ivalee asked angrily. Her fists once more pounded on Luke's back.

"Because we need to do this." He replied. Luke opened the door to reveal Ramdas.

"Hello, Master Luke." He greeted. His eyes glanced at Ivalee. "Who might this be?"

"This is Ivalee." Luke put her down. Ivalee looked nervously at Ramdas.

"H-Hi." She said. Ramdas stepped aside and let everyone come through.

"Madam Fabre should be in the courtyard if you need her." He stated.

--

Everyone entered the courtyard. Ivalee and Luke walked over to Susanne. The elderly woman looked up at then from the bench.

"Luke! You're back!" she exclaimed, "I thought you were going to be gone for the rest of the week." Susanne stood up and hugged her son. Then she glanced at Ivalee.

"Who's this?" she asked, her sweet smile not retreating.

"Her name is Ivalee." He told her. "Van had created another replica a long time ago, probably when I was fourteen. And then two years ago, Van killed her. Then she brought back Asch. Now she came back to tell us something." Ivalee stared at her feet. Susanne walked over to Ivalee and gave her a hug.

"Welcome to the family." She said. "Now, you must be going to discuss whatever you need to now." Susanne ushered them out the door.

"Feel better?" Luke questioned Ivalee.

"Yea, I guess." She replied, rubbing the back of her head.

"Now that that's over, we should be discussing the issue at hand." Jade stated. He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.

"Right." Everyone, save Jade, said it unison.

--

Everyone was seated in the drawing room, waiting for Ivalee to begin.

"When I was bonded with Lorelei, he told me something..."

**_FLASHBACK_**

_**Ivalee...**__ Lorelei spoke to her. __**I need you to do something for me.**_

"_What do you need?" she asked worriedly. All she could see was a white blur in front of her. Everything else around her was black._

_**I have been degenerating ever since the Planet Storm was stopped. I need you to go to Auldrant, and find a cure. Your friends can help.**_

"_But wait, how will you be able to live if I leave?" Ivalee questioned._

_**I will give you enough fonons to be able to go to Auldrant, but it will only last a little while. After that, you will disappear and reconnect with me.**_

"_Alright, I'll do it." she stated. Ivalee could feel the fonons start to gather. Her vision began to blur._

_**Thank you, Ivalee.**__ Her eyes shut as the blinding white light slowly diminished. When she opened her eyes, she was in Tataroo Valley. _

**_END OF FLASHBACK_**

"Just to be clear, what you're saying is, we have to find out how to save Lorelei or he dies?" Tear asked.

"Not just him," Ivalee replied, "but all of the seventh fonists and the seventh fonon."

"Well, the first place I would check is the Radiation and Absorption Gates." Jade suggested.

"We should spend the night so everyone can get some sleep." Natalia said. The party headed for their rooms to get some sleep. Yet, what they didn't know was that a figure was hiding in the drawing room. No one knew that they were there, or that they had heard everything.


	3. Nightmare or Reality?

**Author's Note: Umm... This chapter is a bit weird, but hold on. **

"_Where am I?" Ivalee questioned. She could see nothing but black all around her. Suddenly a figure appeared not too far away._

"_So, you're still with them." It sneered. Only one person could have a voice as cruel and horrible as that._

"_Sync!" she shouted. Her vision cleared and she saw him, standing a few feet away. Her hands clenched into fists._

"_Heheh, you figured it out, genius." He teased. She felt hatred build up within her body._

"_Will you shut up and leave!" Ivalee screamed. Sync was the reason that Van could control her every move. He was the reason that she used to have the curse slot, and the pain that came with it._

"_I came to tell you the truth, to knock some sense into you."_

"_What do you mean?!" she furiously asked. _

"_They never cared about you." He commented._

"_Who?" _

"_Your so called 'friends.'"_

"_You're lying!!" Her stomach twisted in all which ways. Her friends had cared for her, and they always would._

"_They're just using you, like a little toy. And when they are all done, you'll just be disposed." He smirked._

"_Liar!!"_

"_They'll nev--"_

"_Stop it!!" Ivalee dropped to her knees, hands covering her ears as much as she could. Yet, that still didn't keep out his voice._

"_You know it's true," he continued, "You just don't want to admit it."_

"_Argh... Stop! Just leave!"_

"_But if I left, you'd still be with those traitors."_

_Her mind was swirling. He was lying, for she knew they cared. Luke, Anise, Tear, Asch, Natalia, Guy, and even Jade._

"_Didn't you see how fast Madam Fabre got you out of the courtyard? She didn't want you. No one wants you."_

"_It's not true! She loves me like her own child!"_

_There was silence in the air. Ivalee pulled her hands away from her ears. She stood up and looked around. No sign of anyone. _

"_You could be worth something, something more than a mere toy." Sync breathed. He stood right behind her. She could feel his breath run along her spine. Her body turned frigid and icy. "All you have to do is join me."_

"_No! I won't be swayed by the likes of you!" Ivalee reached at her waist for her sword, but it wasn't there. She spun around to look at Sync. Now he had suddenly moved a few feet away, with her sword in his hands._

"_Hand it over!" she screamed. Ivalee dived forward to reach it, yet somehow she ended up on the ground. Her eyes glanced back, and she saw him, smirking a few feet away._

"_Heheh, and I thought you could do better than that." Sync tossed the sword up, and then caught it when it fell down. Ivalee stood up once more and turned to face him. _

"_Shut up, you liar!" _

"_Make me."_

_Ivalee ran up to him and punched, full force. Her hand hit something hard._

"_Ugh!" She fell to the ground, in pain. Ivalee grasped her hand protectively. When she glanced up, Sync was not there. He had moved again, to the other side._

"_See, no one would want someone like that on their team." Ivalee glanced over her shoulder at him. A grin was plastered all over Sync's face._

"_If you would join me, then I could teach you many, many things. More techniques than anyone else could. Think about it. You could be as strong as Van was, no, stronger than Van was."_

_Ivalee looked back at her hands, thinking. _

"_Together, we could save Lorelei, and you." Sync's voice got softer, and softer, and softer. It almost sounded like he, actually wanted her. Ivalee turned her hand, back and forth. She was in deep concentration and thought._

"_I-I... I..." she stuttered. Her mind was jumbled with all sorts of ideas. Ivalee could go with Sync, or she could return to Luke and the others._

"_I won't go." She stated. When Ivalee glanced back at him, he frowned. Sync's body began to disappear. Right before he vanished out of sight, he uttered one word,_

"_Traitor."_

Ivalee jolted awake. Her heart was racing. The bed sheets were tangled and messy. She looked over at the window, which was flung open. The wind blew the curtains everywhere. _I didn't remember leaving the window open_, she thought.

Her mind thought back to the nightmare with Sync. "It was just a dream," she told herself. Though, for some odd reason, her hand was hurting.

The clock caught her eye. 4:29, it showed._ I need to get to sleep. _

Ivalee shut the window as silently as she could manage and crawled back into bed.

--

Outside the window, a figure sat under the window.

"Dammit, it didn't work." He cursed, curling his hands into fists. "I'll just have to catch then at the Gates." The figure jumped up and sprinted off towards the Albiore 2.


	4. The Radiation Gate

**Author's Note: Sorry for any confusing parts. I'm also sorry if I get any of the information wrong. It's just so hard to get it all right. Hope you like this chapter!**

Ivalee sat up in bed. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the window. _Whew... It's still closed_, she thought. Ivalee threw back the covers and stood up. The clock beeped 12:00.

She rummaged through the dresser to her left. All that was there in the category of clothes was her dress that had been washed while she was sleeping. Ivalee slipped that on and strolled back to the bed.

There was an indent in the wall right above the pillow she was sleeping on. _Oops... Well, at least that explains why my hand hurts._ She grabbed her bag and ran out the door.

--

Ivalee found Jade, Anise, Tear, Asch, and Natalia standing outside the manor.

"Umm... Where's Luke and Guy?" she questioned.

"Guy went back to wake Luke up." Natalia replied. At that moment, Luke came trudging out with Guy tailing behind him.

"Ugh..." Luke grunted. He rubbed his eyes a few times and squinted at the bright light.

"Well, well. You're up bright and early." Jade commented sarcastically. He smirked at the discontented look on Luke's face.

"Shut up."

"Now that everyone's awake, why don't we head out?" Guy suggested. He received multiple nods. They headed in the direction of the Albiore 2.

--

When they arrived at the Albiore 2, Noelle opened the door and greeted them with a smile.

"Good morning! To the Radiation Gate, I presume?" She said. Asch nodded. Noelle bounded up the stairs and into the cockpit. Everyone followed her in, but with less bounce.

--

Through the trip to the Radiation Gate, Ivalee kept thinking about her dream she had.

"_Together, we could save Lorelei, and you." Sync's voice got softer, and softer, and softer. It almost sounded like he, actually wanted her._

She stared out the window in thought. Ivalee didn't even hear Tear call her name.

"Ivalee?" Tear walked over and sat next to her. She had a worried look etched on her face.

"Ivalee?" She jumped out of her thoughts and turned around to face Tear.

"Hmm?"

"Your hand is bruised." Ivalee looked down at her hand. Indeed, it was a purple-ish color.

"Oh, yea. About that..."

"Here," Tear started, reaching for Ivalee's hand. "Let me heal you." A green glow enveloped her hand. After a minute or two, the glow stopped and her hand was well again.

"Thanks." Ivalee noted. She turned back to the window.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tear asked.

"I'm sorry, but I don't really want to talk about it right now," Ivalee replied. Her voice contained a hint of sadness in it.

"No, I'm sorry for prying." Tear got up and walked back to talk with Natalia. Ivalee sighed. _What should I do? Should I tell them about the dream?_ Ivalee questioned herself. Her mind wandered back to the words that Sync said...

"_They're just using you, like a little toy. And when they are all done, you'll just be disposed."_

His words repeated over and over in her head. Her body drifted further and further away from reality. Her eyelids closed and she couldn't feel her body anymore. That is, until Luke shook her awake.

"Hey, Ivalee. You awake?" Her eyes fluttered open to the sight of Luke, grasping her shoulders and softly shaking them. He let go and looked at her.

"Are you ok?" he questioned.

"Yea. I just need to adjust to the time zone again." She lied.

"Alright, but if you need anything, just say something." He walked to the back. Ivalee shook her head a few times and glanced down at the ground. The little island was in view, which meant she slept through most of the trip.

"We'll be landing in a few minutes." Noelle stated. Her cheery voice had not disappeared. Ivalee stood up and grabbed her bag. She looked out the window at the half destroyed Radiation Gate. Bones were sprawled everywhere. Junk littered the area. One, giant spine of a creature lead down to the Sephiroth below. Ivalee shuddered at the thought of what creature might have had that size of a backbone.

The Albiore 2 landed safely in an area not totally covered with scraps. The party exited with ease, and slid down the spine of the massive dead creature. Strangely, there were no monsters.

The beautiful allure of the Sephiroth made the rest of the place look even worse.

Memory particles bounced off of the walls and floated around. Jade raised his hand and caught one.

"Hmm... A memory particle?" he examined the sphere of seventh fonons in his hand. Anise rushed over to the Sephiroth and looked over the edge.

"Wow, there are still particles coming in and out of here." She said. Her voice echoed across the area. Tear strolled over to where Anise was peering over the edge.

"Uh, should you be leaning over the edge like that?" Guy asked worriedly. Luke walked over and pulled Anise backwards.

"Oww..." she whined while rubbing her head.

"Jade, why are the memory particles still flowing?" Tear questioned. She walked back from the edge to the group.

"I would suppose that they continuously seep out from the core." Jade replied. He shook the memory particle off of his hand and it went flying.

Ivalee wandered off to the side, dodging the particles coming her way. She rounded the other side of the Sephiroth and stared down.

"Hey, guys, I think there's something here that you might want to look at." She said. Her words were filled with worry. Natalia swiftly rushed over to Ivalee and peered down.

"Oh, my..." she uttered. Natalia held a hand to her mouth.

"What is it?" Guy asked. He jogged over to them, though still keeping a good distance away. Luke followed Guy and looked down.

"No... It couldn't be..." he muttered. Asch came to a stop at where Luke was standing.

"This couldn't be possible, could it?" he glanced at Jade. Tear and Anise glanced over the edge on the opposite side.

"I don't see anything." Tear said. She was very confused. Luke motioned for her to come over to him. Tear ambled over and looked down.

"I-It's... It's not possible." She mused. Jade and Anise sauntered down the pathway and towards Luke. They both stared down at the sight below.

"Just what we need..." Jade mumbled.

Down a little ways away, wedged in the side, was a weapon. But not just any weapon,

Largo's Scythe.


	5. The Night Problem

**Author's Notes: Ok, I kinda cut this a little short since I wanted to get this up quickly. If you have any questions, comments, etc. about this, then please review and ask away. (Trust me, you probably will after you read this chapter...)**

"Largo is here?!" Anise asked worriedly.

"Now we know why all of the monsters are gone." Guy said. Suddenly, a huge bellow rang out.

"I guess you discovered my scythe." A voice said. A large figure stepped out from the shadows.

"But, how did you live?" Asch asked a little angrily.

"That's private information. I'm just passing through here to get to Daath to see the new Commandant." Largo replied, his voice booming through the area.

"N-New Commandant?" Natalia stuttered.

"Yes, he was just assigned a few days ago. I've been called to a meting there. Well, I must be going." Largo turned around and headed for the door.

"Wait!" Ivalee interjected. She ran in front of Largo and crossed her arms. "Who's the new commandant?"

"You'll just have to find out yourself," he shoved Ivalee out of the way and disappeared up the spine. Ivalee stood up and brushed herself off.

"Let's look a bit longer, then we can head out," Tear suggested. Ivalee glanced back down at Largo's scythe.

"Hey, I think that most of the seventh fonons are coming from the gap made by Largo's weapon." She said. Jade sauntered over and looked at it.

"Hmm... Seems you're right." He voiced. "That's something you don't see everyday." Ivalee stuck her tongue out and placed her hands on her hips.

Guy and Luke were talking, a few feet away.

"Is it just me, or is Ivalee acting a bit more, childish than before?" Luke questioned.

"Yea, she does seem to be acting younger than she did last time. I guess it would have something to do with coming back to Auldrant from being bonded with Lorelei." Guy replied. Jade walked away from Ivalee and off to the side.

Anise was climbing up a wall of rocks on the other side.

"What are you doing?!" Asch shouted.

"I saw something!" she yelled back. Anise continued to climb higher and higher. Eventually, Anise reached a cliff and crawled on it. She disappeared from sight. Ivalee jumped up and climbed to Anise.

"What are you're doing?!" Asch asked once more.

"What does it look like, I'm going to help Anise!" Ivalee replied. She also disappeared from sight. They both came back a few minutes later.

"Hey, what do you make of this?" Anise asked. She tossed down a rock the size of a thumb. Guy caught it and rolled it in his hand. Tear walked up and took it from him.

"I can sense a lot of seventh fonons coming from it." she commented. Anise and Ivalee jumped off of the small cliff.

"Why don't we get moving? The sun is going down and I need some rest." Ivalee said.

"Sure, I'm a bit tired too. We can head off to the Absorption Gate tomorrow." Anise skipped to the spine and disappeared up it. Ivalee followed her to the Albiore 2.

"First two people to the Albiore 2 get to sleep in it!" Anise yelled back. The rest of the party ran towards the Albiore 2.

--

Luke, Tear, Asch, Natalia, Jade, and Guy all slept outside that night. Ivalee got the back room and Anise got the main area in the Albiore 2.

--

Ivalee lay on her bed, fast asleep. Her breathing was steady and unchanging.

Sync slipped from his hiding place in the side of the Albiore 2 and slide across the floor, careful not to stir Anise. He opened the door to the back room and snuck inside. He silently closed the door and made his way over to the sleeping Ivalee.

He took out a small mechanism. It was shaped as a pyramid and had a dial on one of the sides. There was a small light at the tip of it. It was a grayish color and looked like it was built of gray bricks.

Sync turned the dial a full 180 degrees. The light flashed and the tip rose on a small pole. It turned the tip towards Ivalee and blasted a beam on her head. Sync opened one of the sides of the pyramid to reveal a speaker box.

--

_Ivalee glanced around. There was nothing except black everywhere. She took a few steps to the right. Nothing happened. _

"_Still confused, are you?" a voice said. It sounded so familiar. But, it was the one person Ivalee despised the most._

"_Sync..." she growled. Ivalee whipped around and saw him, a few feet away. _

--

Sync heard her say his name. It was working just as planned...

--

"_Get out of here!" she screamed. Her voice filled with hatred and rage. Ivalee grabbed her sword and ran up to him. She swung, but the sword stopped in midair. Ivalee looked up and saw Sync, holding the blade of her sword._

"_Try that again and I might just have to break the sword." He sneered. She yanked on the sword and tried to stab him. Sync dodged the swing and ended up on the other side of her. Ivalee's sword flew off in the distance. She couldn't see it anymore._

--

Sync had to dodge her sword as it flew towards him. He turned and saw it fly out the window to the main area.

Anise woke up to see a sword stuck in the floor, a few centimeters away from her face. She scrambled up and looked around. Anise glanced outside at everyone else. They were all sound asleep. Anise examined the sword and bit more and realized that it was Ivalee's. She pulled it out of the floor and placed it aside.

When she tried to go to sleep again, a noise made her sit up straight.

--

_"Will you leave me alone?! I'm not joining your team!" Ivalee screamed. Her fists clenched in anger. She grabbed her dagger and thrust it his way. The dagger stuck in something and stayed there._

--

Anise jumped up and ran to the back room. The tip of a dagger stuck out of the door. She careful opened the door and saw Ivalee sleeping, though her face was scrunched up in an angry fashion. A machine sat on the bed stand, shaped like a pyramid. A beam of light shot from it to Ivalee's forehead. Sync stood near the bed, talking to Ivalee.

"No! It's not true!" Ivalee shouted, still asleep.

"You know they're just using you. Once they're done, you'll be nothing in their eyes." Sync said to her, a smirk on his face.

"Get away from her!" Anise yelled as she threw the door open. She ran up to Sync and started to hit him.

"Anise?" Ivalee asked. Her mind was still in the dream.

"Yea, just hang on!" Anise hollered. She kept pounding her fists on Sync's stomach. Sync grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her back.

"You'll have to do better than that," Sync smirked. He held both her hands behind her back with one of his hands. Sync reached over and pulled the dagger from the door. He held it to Anise's neck.

"Aahh!" she screeched. Anise tried to move her head back further, but she just hit Sync's chest. Sync pushed the dagger closer to her neck.

Ivalee's eyes shot open. She hopped up and moved towards Sync and Anise.

"Don't move, or Anise might end up on the floor, dead." Sync threatened. Ivalee froze in place.

"You wouldn't dare..." Ivalee said worriedly. Sync smirked again. (Wow, he smirks a lot...)

"Yes, I would."

Ivalee raised her hands in defeat. She knew that Sync would do just about anything. Sync hit Anise in the head with the flat side of the dagger, which made her unconscious. He started towards Ivalee. She made a run for the door, but the dagger landed centimeters away from her hand. It was wedged in the doorknob, so she couldn't escape.

Ivalee backed away from Sync as much as possible. She felt the wall behind her as Sync moved in closer.

He grabbed the dagger out of the door and kept walking towards her. Ivalee pressed her back against the wall. Sync stopped inches away from her face. Ivalee squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain. She could feel his breath tickle her nose.

The last thing Ivalee could remember before she got knocked out,

was his lips on hers.


	6. Decisions, Right or Wrong?

**Author's Notes: Wow, this was fast... For the record, I want to tell you that Sync had grown a bit taller and grown out his hair some during the two years, so he has changed some. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

Sync carried Ivalee back to her bed. He laid her down, just like she was when she fell asleep. _What the hell is wrong with me? First my stomach feels weird around her and next I sudden have an urge to kiss her? Damn…I must be going crazy…_

He put Anise back in her bed in the other room. Grabbing Ivalee's sword, Sync strode to the engine fuel tank and jammed her weapon in it. Black liquid dripped down and made a small puddle near his feet. Sync returned the sword and made sure that there was no sign of anything that happened that night.

He left the Albiore and ran towards the edge of the island. After he whistled, a large bird swooped down, picking him up. Sync flew off in the distance, smirking.

--

That morning, Anise woke up confused. _What happened? The last thing I remember was that Sync had a dagger to my neck and... Wait a minute! Sync! _She jumped up and rushed into Ivalee's room. There was no sign that Sync had been there. It looked pretty normal. _It must've been a dream or something. Wow, I never knew dreams could seem so real..._

Anise exited the room quietly, making sure not to wake Ivalee. She slid out the door to find everyone else awake, including Luke.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Jade teased. "Even Luke was up before you." Said redhead sent Jade a glare, which he ignored.

"Hey, I had a really bad dream last night. I don't think I got much sleep, anyway." Anise replied, while yawning. "What time is it?"

"It's after noon." Guy told her.

Ivalee walked out of the Albiore 2 a few minutes later.

"What'd I miss?" she asked. Ivalee rubbed her eyes a few times to adjust to the light.

"Not much; just packing up." Tear answered.

"We should get going if you want to get to the Absorption Gate before tomorrow morning," Noelle interrupted. Her voice was filled with cheer and happiness. The party filed onto the Albiore 2 and they took off.

--

Ivalee paced around the back room. _Should I tell them? _She questioned herself. Her mind was swarmed with thoughts. Ivalee played back the events last night. Her head started to hurt.

"This is too hard. I can't think straight!" she whispered to herself. Ivalee sat down on the bed. Then she remembered.

"Sync!" she almost shouted. Ivalee covered her mouth quickly so no one would hear. Sync kissed her! Last night! Right before he knocked her unconsious. Her breathing got faster. _Does this mean he... likes me?_

Ivalee glanced around. Nobody seemed to hear her outburst. She laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. _I-I... I... I don't know what to do..._ She fell asleep thinking about the kiss. How his lips were soft and smooth, and that she actually enjoyed it. Though, she'd never admit to it.

--

Ivalee woke to the sound of sputtering. She rushed out the room and looked around. Noelle was pulling on the steering wheel.

"The engine ran out of fuel! We'll have to land!" she yelled over the roar of the engines. Noelle steered the Albiore 2 to a safe landing on an island. The roar died down and it stopped completely.

"Whew... We're safe now." She exclaimed before looking outside. "Looks like we're near Daath. I'll get the Albiore 2 fixed while you guys can go stock up on supplies." The party exited the Albiore 2 and walked to the great cathedral.

--

Asch opened the door to the cathedral. The low sun gleamed through the glass stained windows.

"Let's find the new commandant while we're here." Natalia suggested. The rest of the party entered the giant building. Many priests and people rushed back and forth through the area.

"Where would he be?" Tear asked. She glanced from side to side.

"Heheh... I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show up." A voice said. A green haired man landed a few feet away from the group.

"Sync!" Anise shouted. "Get out of the way!"

"Yea! We have to find the new commandant!" Luke yelled.

"Why the hell did you tell him that?!" Asch screamed at Luke. Both Luke and Asch gave each other death glares.

"Why go looking for someone when they're standing right in front of you?" Everyone looked at Sync.

"What?!" Guy asked, knowing full well what Sync meant.

"I'm saying that you are looking at the new Commandant." Sync replied, smirking. "And now that that's over, let's get to the main reason I'm here."

"What's that?" Asch angrily. His patience was wearing out. Sync looked at Ivalee, who was half hidden behind Jade.

"W-What?" Ivalee stuttered, yet she knew what Sync was talking about.

"Come on, leave these traitors." Sync told her.

"We are not traitors!" Anise screamed at him. Sync took a step forward.

"Run!" Ivalee shouted. She ran to the door and pulled it open. The group bolted out the door. Ivalee sprinted out the door, by only got two feet away before Sync caught her arm.

"Let go!!" she screamed, struggling to break free. Sync's grip tightened.

"What are you going to do?" Sync asked. Ivalee writhed and thrashed to get out. She finally ripped her arm from his death grip. Ivalee fell to the ground, then scrambled up and ran to the group.

"We have to save Lorelei!" she hollered while still running.

"What about you?" Sync questioned. Ivalee halted in her tracks, heaving hard. Sync's mouth curled into a smirk. "Are you going to do anything about you?" he continued. Ivalee let her blood-red hair droop over her shoulders. The rest of the party stopped and turned around.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Asch shouted.

"They've been focused on Lorelei the whole time," Sync said, still smirking. "They're just using you, like a toy." The memory of the dream still haunted her. Ivalee glanced back and forth between the party and Sync.

"He's lying, and you know it!" Tear yelled.

"No, they're the ones lying to you. All they care about is themselves." Sync commented. He reached out his hand. "I wouldn't lie to you." Ivalee stared at his hand.

"I-I...I..." she stuttered. Suddenly, the ground shook violently.

"Ahh!" Natalia screeched. She started to fall down, but Asch caught her.

Ivalee dropped to her knees. Her body faded in and out a few times.

**Hurry, time is not on our side.**

Luke, Asch, and Ivalee all held their head in their hands. The ground continued to shake and tremble underneath their feet. Ivalee rolled on her side. Yet, with all of this going on, Sync was undisturbed.

The quake came to a halt. The headaches went away, leaving Asch, Luke, and Ivalee relieved.

"Let's go, Ivalee." Anise said. She glared at Sync.

"But if you go, them you'll just be hurt more." Sync continued his persuasion. "They'll stab you in the back."

"No! We would never do something like that!" Natalia shouted. "Especially to a friend!"

"They're completely focused on Lorelei. What about you?" Sync stepped closer. "What about us?" Ivalee pushed herself to a standing position. She wobbled over to Sync and collapsed in his arms. Her stomach twisted as she looked back at the group.

"Fine. If that's the way you want it then." Asch stated. His voice lined with anger. He turned around and walked away. The rest of the party glanced at her. Worried, disgusted, angry, and sad emotions etched on their faces.

Her eyes became very heavy all of a sudden. Ivalee's legs felt weak, her head spinning. The last thing she saw before falling asleep was Sync's face.

--

Sync walked in a guest room and laid Ivalee down on the bed. She was fast asleep, the cause unknown. He brushed her stray stands of hair away, taking a good look at her.

Her face was very pale, drained of most color. Ivalee's hair was blood red, the color of Asch's hair, too. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was barely open. Her breathing was steady, but weak.

Sync found himself staring at her face. He shook his head and turned around, but before he left, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

--

Ivalee sat up and looked around the room. The walls were painted with pale, green paint. There were flowers lining the top and bottom of the wall. They curved around the room, twisting and turning about.

She noticed a bowl of hot soup sitting on the table near the bed. Ivalee glanced at the two doors, which lead to the hallway and to a bathroom.

She flung back the sheets and stood up. Ivalee slid out the door silently, looking for Sync.

--

Ivalee had been wandering the halls for about an hour before she finally found Sync. He was in a conference room on the third floor. She reached for the doorknob, but something stopped her.

"So, you got her?" Another voice asked. It sounded unfamiliar. Ivalee pressed her back against the wall next to the door, listening to the conversation.

"Yea, she's resting in one of the guest rooms near the library." She heard Sync reply.

"How'd you do it? I thought it would be impossible with how much she's been through with Luke and the others." The unfamiliar voice said.

"All I did was persuade her. With a little romance, trickery, and a machine from Dist, it seemed easy."

"Romance? You mean you acted like you... loved her?"

"Somewhat, I guess. A kiss or two, ya know."

"Did you really mean it?"

"Course not."

"So, Ivalee doesn't mean much to you?"

"Here, let's put it this way. Ivalee is just another pawn in the game of chess. I just didn't want her on the other side." Ivalee turned her head to the other side. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Really?"

"Yea, pretty much."

_I've heard enough._ Ivalee turned to walk back down the hallway. Tears started streaming down her face. Before she got anywhere though, Largo blocked her exit.

"Now, where do you think you're going?"


	7. A Turnabout

**Author's Note: Sorry if it's confusing. I'll get the next chapter posted as soon as I can. I ended this kinda suddenly, but you'll find your answers soon enough.**

"So, what's your next move?" A figure asked. Sync was sitting in a chair near a table.

"I'll prob-" The door burst open, cutting Sync off. Ivalee walked in, avoiding Sync's gaze. Largo followed her in, with his hand holding her two arms behind her back.

"I found her eavesdropping," he stated. Sync stared at her, but she was facing the other way. He got up and came over to her.

"Ivalee, look at me." Sync commanded, though his voice was soft. She didn't look, not even a glance.

"Ivalee, look at me." He repeated, his voice getting angrier. Yet, she didn't look.

"Look at me!" Sync shouted. Ivalee still did not look. She didn't even flinch. Sync grabbed her chin and forcefully pulled it his way. And from then on, he regretted doing so.

Her eyes were cold, hard, and lined with sadness. The look in them reminded him of fire, hot and flaring. Her cheeks were damp and moist. Her face was paler than before, mostly drained of color. Her lips were pressed together in an angry fashion. Red hair tumbled down her face, blocking part of her left side. She didn't cringe, even with his stare.

Sync glanced back at the person he was talking to. He motioned for them to leave. The person left quickly, for they had an idea of what was going to happen next. Sync then looked up at Largo, who got the message. He left and shut to door quietly.

Sync looked back at Ivalee, who hadn't moved an inch.

"Whatever you heard was a lie," he told her, yet it seemed as though Ivalee didn't hear him. "I was trying to get them off my back. The word would have spread, and before I could have stopped it, everyone would have known. I'd be teased by every official, every priest, everyone." Ivalee just stared at him.

"I don't believe you," she stated. Her voice different from usual, more like Asch's.

"What would it take for you to believe me?" he asked.

"**Nothing** in this world could change my mind." She replied harshly.

"How about this?" Sync pulled her in tighter and pressed his lips to hers. He could feel her struggle, trying to break free, but his grip was tight.

She couldn't get away; he was too strong. Ivalee finally figured this out, and collapsed in defeat. _No! No!_ She screamed in her head. _I can't give up!_ Ivalee tried to break free again, but failed once more. _He's... just... too... strong..._

Her mind started to ache from the battle she was putting up. She could feel her eyes start to close, her body relaxing... _No!!_ She screamed at herself again. Her eyes snapped open.

Sync let their lips part. He gazed back at her. She still stared hard at him, but her breath was a little faster. He could tell that her anger had subsided a little bit. He pressed his lips on hers again.

She struggled more, trying not to give in. _Get away!_ Ivalee shrieked in her head. She didn't want to fall into his arms again. She didn't want to depend on him.

Sync's grip became tighter. He squeezed her arms to keep her from breaking the kiss.

Her body hurt from struggling. Her mind ached from thinking so hard. Ivalee's body became weaker.

Sync took advantage of her weakness and pressed harder. She couldn't put up the fight much longer. Sync was going to win.

He broke the kiss for another moment. Ivalee's stare had almost completely gone away. Her breathing ran faster. Her mouth hung slightly open. Sync kissed her once more. This time, though, she didn't put up much of a fight. _I...can't...win..._

Ivalee finally lost the battle. Her eyes closed shut, her body relaxed. Sync loosened his grip on her, just a little.

He broke the kiss and looked at her. She had her head pointed downwards, avoiding his gaze.

"Now, do you believe me?" Sync asked, staring at her.

"I... I don't know..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"It's late," he said, his voice softening. "You should get some rest. You can decide tomorrow." Sync picked her up and carried her to her room. He tucked Ivalee in and silently slipped out the door.

--

"Largo, I can't do that."

"You have to, Sync. We can't risk it."

"But, she's too weak."

"She'll be fine. You can't always think about what's best for her; you got to think what's best for your plan."

"What is she decides to not trust me. Then what?"

"That's not going to happen."

"She barely trusts me now. How can you assure that she'll trust me after that?"

"I can't, but after a few days, you two can head off to find the cure."

"What if that's too late?"

"Fine, then. You can leave the day after tomorrow."

"But still. If she doesn't trust me, how will I be able to convince her to go with me?"

"Just tell her that the choice is hers; stay there and do nothing, or go with you and try to find the cure."

"Can't we just leave tomorrow?"

"...No..."

"And why not, Largo?"

"Because Luke and the others are there. It'll take them some time to get out of there. I have placed soldiers there to spy on them."

"...Alright. I'll do it. If it's for the best."

"It is."

--

Ivalee woke up and found herself in her bed. She got up and opened the door. The hallway was vacant, well, except for her.

Ivalee walked down the stairs and to Sync's room. She knocked on the door twice. No one answered. Ivalee turned the handle, and oddly, the door came open. She stepped in and saw Sync, sitting on the bed, surrounded by three oracle soldiers. He turned around and spotted her.

"Oh, there you are." He said, the words sounded slightly forced.

"I've decided." Ivalee stated. She squirmed when she glanced at the soldiers. "I-I don't believe you." Sync stood up and faced her.

"I'm sorry to do this to you," he said. "But I can't let you go." A soldier came from the hallway and shut the door, trapping Ivalee. She didn't hear him, though.

"Too bad," she stated, her voice getting angry. The soldier from behind grabbed her arms, restraining her. "What the-?" She struggled to get free, but she was too weak to do anything.

"I'm really, really sorry, but I have to do this." Sync apologized, his voice actually sounded sad. He avoided Ivalee's stare by looking at the ground. One of the other soldiers standing near him unrolled a scroll and began,

"By the Order of Lorelei, you are hereby under arrest."


	8. Freedom

**Author's Note: It'll probably be a little longer before I post the next chapter. Sorry to everyone reading this. **

"Under what charges?" Ivalee asked, her temper boiling.

"For killing Van Grants, a leader of the Order of Lorelei." The soldier replied.

"That was two years ago!" she shouted. "And besides, he killed me!"

"You'll be taken to the cells underground right away and stay there until the accusation is proven right or wrong." The soldier said, seeming to ignore her comment.

The Oracle knight behind Ivalee lead her out the door. She looked once more at Sync before she was forced down the long path to the cells.

--

Ivalee sat in her cell, head in her hand. _How can he do this to me...?_ Tears flowed down her cheeks. She wiped them away and stared at the wall. _He probably thinks I'm weak; that I'm not strong enough to do anything. So he'll just keep me here in this cage and go about with his own plans... Well, I'll show him. I'll show him what it really means to be weak._

She stood up and looked out the bars. There were two guards, just two. One was sitting in the chair relaxing while the other was pacing around in a circle. Ivalee felt the bars, and she finally found what she was looking for.

The weakest one.

Ivalee pulled her hand back, and let it punch forward. The metal bars rung loudly through the empty cells.

"Huh, what was that?" the guard sitting down asked.

"Don't worry, it's just the little girl. The Commandant said she was pretty weak." The other knight answered. He continued pacing.

Ivalee swung again. The bars stung her fists. The roughness of them cut her hand, yet she continued.

After about ten swings, the bar broke. The shattered remains flew everywhere, expect at her. The two guards directed their attention at her cell. The one standing up walked slowly forward, then peeked in.

A fist punched him right in the face. He fell to the ground in pain. The other guard jumped up and got his sword out. He careful walked to the cell. Then, he saw her.

The guard lashed out with his sword, but Ivalee slid under him and used her feet to trip him. She grabbed the sword and yanked it out of his hand. Now, the sword was pointed at him.

She stabbed him and pulled the bloody sword out. Ivalee walked down the hallway to the exit.

_Let's see who's the weakling now..._

--

Ivalee kicked the door down, which revealed Dist, working away on some machine.

"Aahh! Oh wait, it's just you." Dist said. He went back tinkering with his device. She walked over to him and grasped his collar.

"What the hell did that machine of yours do to me?!" she asked angrily. Her eyes filled with the same look that she gave to Sync, not too long ago.

"What? Oh, you mean that contraption I sold Sync?" Dist questioned, slightly afraid.

"Yea, that one."

"It disturbs your dreams so someone can talk to you while you're asleep."

"I know that! Anything else?"

"Umm... Well, there are some side affects..."

"What side affects?!"

"Let me go and I'll tell you." Ivalee dropped Dist's shirt and watched him regain his posture.

"You got blood all over my outfit!" he exclaimed.

"Just tell me the side effects!"

"Alright! Alright! When using the machine, it connects with your brain."

"...Yea..."

"And so it kind of, well... I don't exactly know how to explain this..."

"Spit it out already!"

"It jumbles up your thoughts, your trusts, your memories. Most everything." Ivalee back up and hit the wall, a shocked expression on her face.

"So, to put it in simple words... I can't think straight?"

"Yea, pretty much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go clean my shirt."

"No." she stated, her voice stern. Ivalee crossed her arms. The confused look on her face disappeared.

"What?!"

"I can't just let you go tell everyone that I'm here."

"I promise I won't tell!"

"...I really, really don't believe you..."

"No! Seriously! I won't tell anyone!"

"Still not believing you..." she teased. _I know why Jade enjoys this so much..._

"What will it take for you to believe me?" The memory of the other day flashed in her mind.

"...Nothing could make me believe you."

"Uh," Dist stuttered. Ivalee grabbed a rope from the desk and started forward.

"Wait! Wait!" he begged. She stopped. "What if I can help you travel easier?"

"I'm listening..."

"Well, I examined the Albiore 2 during the past two years and I've build one of my own. It's just smaller and travels faster."

"Really?"

"Yea! Just let me go and you can have it, free of charge."

"What's the catch?"

"What catch?"

"Is there something wrong with it? Some glitch? Side affect?"

"No..."

"Ok. Just go clean your shirt." Dist ran to a different room and came back dragging a machine. He was wearing a different shirt and carried the bloody one in the other hand.

"This will clean my shirt in no time!" he said. Dist slipped his shirt in the side of the contraption and pressed a few buttons. "There! It'll be done in two hours!"

"Good, 'cause I'll be gone by then." Ivalee said with relief.

"The flying machine is on the roof. Just exit that door over there and walk up the steps. I named it Kaiser Dist XXI." Ivalee strolled over to the door and opened it. There were stairs leading up to the rooftop. She walked up them and glanced out. There was a large contraption, covered by a sheet.

Ivalee pulled the cover off which revealed a machine similar to the Albiore 2. It had a dark blue outer coating with black designs on it. The Kaiser Dist was smaller than the Albiore 2, but it still could hold about three people.

Dist came out of the door seconds later, holding a pair of goggles.

"Here. You'll need these." He said. Ivalee took them from his grasp and headed up the ramp. She turned around for a moment.

"Remember, if you tell anyone that I was here, you'll have even more blood on your shirt. And it **won't** be mine." She threatened. Dist gulped and watched as she closed the ramp and started the engine. The flying machine floated off the ground and turned north. It zoomed off into the distance.

--

Luke grabbed the sleeping bags off the ground and loaded them on the Albiore 2. Tear packed the empty dishes into a box and handed them to Anise, who ran them into the Albiore 2. They were getting ready to leave.

"Hey, Jade. Do you mind giving us a hand here?" Guy asked while picking up the leftover bits of breakfast.

"My old bones couldn't bend like they used to." Jade replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But, if you insist on breaking an old man's-"

"Just forget I said anything."

--

Ivalee pounded on the petal. _I gotta get there before they leave._ She thought, her mind racing. She steered the machine towards the little island.

--

Natalia tossed the burnt wood to the side. She boarded the Albiore 2, holding hands with Asch. Their two, silver rings sparkled in the sun's rays.

Jade was already on, ready to takeoff. Luke trotted on, followed by Tear. Anise skipped aboard and laid out a folded up cloth.

She rolled it out and examined the contents. There was one hundred and thirty-three pieces of glad. Most of which, she discovered near the Sephiroth in an abandoned wallet. (Which looked strangely similar to Luke's wallet...)

Guy carried some of the rocks they found in both Gates and studied them. The outer covering was the same type of rock. The inside was filled with seventh fonons, said by Tear.

--

The island was within sight. Ivalee pressed harder on the gas petal. She could just barely see the Albiore 2...

--

With everything packed and everyone on, Noelle closed the hatch. She started the engine, ready to leave.

--

Ivalee saw the Albiore 2 lift in the air. It turned to move. _If only it would wait a few more seconds..._

--

Noelle was just about to takeoff when Anise spotted something.

"What's that?" she pointed towards the sky. There was a machine that looked a lot alike to the Albiore, except that it had blue and black paint and it was smaller. The contraption flew twice the speed of the Albiore towards the island.

It was moving too fast to land properly. And, within a spilt second, crashed right into the side of a mountain and exploded.


	9. Confessions

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter makes up for it.**

Noelle landed the Albiore 2. She opened the hatch for everyone to get out. The party ran towards the place where it had exploded to search for any survivors.

"Do you see anyone?" Natalia asked worriedly. She scanned the debris.

"Not so far. All I can see is broken pieces." Guy replied. He picked up the broken steering wheel and noticed the jammed pole in it.

"It's highly unlikely that someone would live through an explosion like this. The engine fuel must have caught fire to cause all of this damage." Jade stated nonchalantly.

"I wonder why someone would crash this." Anise pondered to no one is particular. She found the emergency first aid box, half charred from the explosion. When she opened the box, everything inside was perfectly fine. A few gels, bandages, and some bottles of liquid.

"Hmm... What's this?" Luke held up a ripped part of cloth. It was a purple color with a hole burned into it.

"Looks like Ivalee's." Asch said while examining it.

"Uh-oh." Anise said. Her eyes went wide. "Are you **sure** nobody could survive something like this, Jade?

"I'm sorry to say, but yes." He replied. Silence filled the area.

--

Ivalee rolled on her side. _Oww... That jump really hurt..._

**_FLASHBACK_**

_The island was only meters away. The Kaiser Dist(...weird name...) was moving at an incredible speed. _

_Ivalee broke the emergency brake off and jammed it behind the steering wheel to keep it elevated. She unbuckled and rushed to the hatch. The door opened wide and wind almost blew her down. Ivalee checked the area._

_There was a small clearing she could make a jump for. Ivalee hurled herself off the death ride and tried to land on the cliff. She managed to hit it, but with a hard landing._

**_FLASHBACK OVER_**

She stood up carefully and brushed herself off. The goggles Dist gave her were lying to the side. She walked towards the edge to see if they had left.

They were all heading towards the Albiore 2 from the debris. _Good..._ She breathed a sigh of relief. Ivalee rushed over to the Albiore 2 as fast as she could in her condition.

"Hey!" she yelled, getting everyone's attention. Ivalee reached the Albiore 2 and leaned against it, breathing heavily.

"You're ok!" Anise exclaimed. She hugged Ivalee tight. Then Ivalee turned to face everyone.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't been totally honest with you guys." She admitted. "There's a lot I didn't tell you. If you give me one more chance, I can explain everything." Ivalee scratched the back of her head. Everyone glanced at each other.

"Sure, you can have another chance," Guy said. Ivalee ran over and hugged him. "Aaahh!!" he screamed. Guy jumped back, his body shaking.

"Ooops... I forgot. Sorry, Guy." Ivalee apologized. Guy nodded. He regained his composure and joined the group again.

"You can explain while we head to Belkend to examine these rocks a bit closer." Jade said. He motioned to the Albiore 2. The party boarded and they took off.

--

"...So Sync entered my dream with this machine. He tried to convince me to join him, but I turned him down." Ivalee explained. "Then, the next night, Sync tried to convince me again in my dream, but Anise woke up and hit Sync. He held a dagger to her neck, so she screamed and that's what woke me up."

"Then," Anise continued for her. "Ivalee tried to help, but Sync threatened to kill me if she moved."

"Yea, so I froze in place. Then Sync hit Anise unconsious and started towards me. Then he... he..." Ivalee glanced at Jade. He raised an eyebrow.

"He what?" Tear asked.

"H-He knocked me unconsious, too." Ivalee stuttered. "Then while I was in Daath, I overheard Sync saying that he used me. So I tried to leave the next morning, but he had a bunch of guards arrest me."

"They can't just arrest you for no reason," Natalia told her.

"He used Van's death for an excuse." Ivalee replied. "Then I was trapped in jail for a few hours, but I broke out. When I had heard Sync say he used me, I also heard that he got the machine from Dist. So I tracked down Dist and he explained to me about the machine having side affects."

"Hmm... Dist, explained things to you? Without force?" Jade mused.

"Uh, yea. So now I know that the machine Sync was using connects to the brain. It damages it when someone enters the dream. So he told me that the machine jumbles up my thoughts, my memories, and my trusts."

"Is that why you turned over to the other side?" Asch asked. Ivalee nodded.

"I was going to tie Dist up and leave him in a closet somewhere, but then he told me that he could help me travel faster. He showed me this contraption that was based off the Albiore 2, but smaller and travels faster. I went ahead and left to find you guys. When I saw that the machine Dist made was going too fast to land, I jammed the steering wheel and jumped out onto this small clearing."

"Wouldn't that hurt?" Luke inquired.

"I'll be sore for the next few days, but I think I'm fine." She replied. "I'm going to get some sleep. I didn't get much in Daath." Ivalee stood up and walked to the back room and shut the door.

Luke, Tear, Guy, and Anise took their seats while Natalia and Asch talked in the corner. Jade just stood where he was.

_She's obviously hiding something._ Jade thought. He knocked on the door to the back room.

"Hmm...? Who is it?" Ivalee asked.

"It's Jade." He answered.

"...Go away. I'm sleeping."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"..." She opened the door for a spilt second and shoved him in. Ivalee shut the door quietly and turned around to face Jade.

"What do you need?" she questioned.

"What happened the night when Anise found Sync using that machine on you?"

"I already told you."

"Not everything." He said. Jade could tell she was tensing up. "You obviously left something out. Right before Sync knocked you out." Ivalee's right eye twitched slightly upward.

"Uh..." she hesitated. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course," was his response.

"Well, Sync cornered me to the wall. So I closed my eyes for the pain." Her voice got quieter. "But it never came. Instead Sync..." Ivalee motioned for him to come closer. Jade bent over. "...kissed me." She whispered into his ear.

"Hmm..." Jade pondered. He stood up straight and opened the door. "I'll be taking my leave now, so you may get some sleep now." He shut the door. Ivalee turned around and sighed. _At least he didn't make any jokes about it or anything..._ she thought.

She laid down on the bed. The soft purr of the engines soothed her to sleep...

--

"Hey, Jade. Where've you been?" Luke asked.

"Oh, just having a chat with Ivalee." Jade answered.

"What about?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all..."

--

They arrived in Belkend late that night. The sun had long since gone down and the moon had taken its place. Stars were sprinkled around the skies, making the night somewhat brighter.

The party headed to the inn where they rented three rooms. Asch and Natalia shared one room. Tear, Anise, and Ivalee shared another. And Luke, Guy, and Jade shared the last one.

"Why does Asch and Natalia get a room all to their selves?" Anise complained.

"Because they'll probably spend the night kissing each other." Luke told her. Both Natalia and Asch blushed, but one was visible and the other wasn't.

"That won't be the first time that's happened. Right, Ivalee?" Jade teased. Her smile faded. Ivalee's eyes widened and her face paled even more. Every person turned to look at her.

"What is he talking about?" Tear questioned.

"You said you'd keep it a secret!!" she shouted at Jade. He just put on his unfathomable smile.

"Oh, no. It seems that you misunderstood my words. I said that I _could_ keep a secret. I never said I _would._"

_Dammit!_ She mentally cursed. _Oh, how I wish I didn't tell him..._

"Tell us what Jade's talking about right now!" Asch commanded.

"Uh, well, see here..." she began, not sure how to explain it. "The night where Anise found Sync in my room, well, after he knocked Anise out, he...kissed me." She confessed again. Pure shock imprinted their faces.

"W-what? He k-k-kissed you?" Tear gaped in astonishment.

"It was only once." Guy pointed out. "That can't be too bad."

"Well, actually, before I left Daath, Sync kissed me again." Ivalee admitted. She, once again, left them stunned. "Three times, to be exact."

Silence engulfed the room, until someone spoke.

"It's getting pretty late. Why don't we head up to our rooms?" Anise suggested.

"Y-Yea! See ya in the morning!" Ivalee replied quickly. She grabbed one of the keys out of Jade's hand and rushed up the stairs and into the room. The others followed soon after.

A figure loomed from behind one of the sofas. _Sync... Why...?_ She thought sorrowfully. The little girl hugged her doll tight and rushed to her room in tears, far from the party.

**Author's Note: Pretty obvious who that is at the end, eh? Again, sorry for the late update. Hope you aren't too mad at me. (I'm not sure, but updates will probably be slower.)**


	10. Mieu!

**Author's Note: Short, I know. Sorry 'bout that. I haven't said this for a while, but please R&R!**

Luke felt something fuzzy nuzzle his face. He cracked his eye open and saw a little, blue creature jump on him. "Aaaaahh!" he screamed, sitting up. Mieu flew off of Luke and hit the wall with a thud.

"Mieu..." he murmured while rubbing his head. Mieu stood up and bounced back to Luke. "Master! Master!" Luke glanced down at him.

"Hey, Mieu. It's been a while, hasn't it?" he rubbed his eyes. "How'd you get here?"

"Noelle picked me up last night!" Mieu chanted cheerfully. Luke noticed that Mieu hadn't grown much the past few years.

"That's great! Now, why don't you go see Tear? She'll be thrilled to see you, too. She's in the next room." Mieu bounded off and out the door. Luke laid back down on the bed and shut his eyes, trying to go back to sleep.

--

Mieu opened the door to the girls' room. Everyone was asleep, including the person he didn't know.

Tear was the closest one, so he jumped on her and shouted, "Tear, Tear!" Tear sat up straight. She looked at the little ball of fur on her.

"Mieu! How are you?" she greeted. _How cute!_

"I'm good! Mieu! What about you?" he chirped. Anise and Ivalee woke up.

"Huh? What's that?" Ivalee asked, looking at Mieu.

"I'm a cheagle!" Mieu answered. "My name's Mieu!" Ivalee got up and walked over to him.

"Well, I'm delighted to meet you, Mieu." She shook his little paw. "My name is Ivalee." Anise walked over, too.

"Hey, we haven't seen you in a long time!" Anise exclaimed. Mieu happily bounced up and down.

"Did you get Luke up?" Tear asked. Mieu nodded.

"I woke him up, then he said to go find you!" Mieu said. Tear raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't we both go see Luke, then." She picked Mieu up and walked out the door to Luke's room next door. When Tear opened the guys' door, she saw both Luke and Guy lying on their beds. Jade was already downstairs, ready to go.

Mieu jumped on Luke again, who groaned. He rolled over and noticed Tear standing right there.

"Whoa! What are you doing in here?" Luke scrambled up. He glanced down at his bare chest and boxer shorts. "Uh, be right back." Luke grabbed his clothes off the dresser and ran into the restroom. He came out a few minutes later wearing his usual white shirt and black pants.

"Guy, wake up!" Luke yelled. Guy sat up groggily. He trudged into the restroom.

"Let's get some breakfast while he gets ready." Luke suggested. Anise and Ivalee appeared at the door. They all went down to the main area.

--

Arietta ran out the back door. She nearly got caught by Jade in the dinning area. Grasping her doll, she ran towards the dock.

When she arrived, the boat was waiting. A tall, blonde woman stood near it.

"Hurry, we're already late." The woman stated, slightly annoyed. Arietta boarded the boat with the blonde lady and it set sail, towards the Radiation Gate.

--

Once breakfast was finished, everyone headed to the laboratory.

"Hmm..." Jade pondered while examining the two rocks under a microscope. He stepped away from the equipment. "Both of the rocks we found in the two Gates are almost identical to each other. They both contain seventh fonons, the outer covering is made of the same type of mineral, and they're about the same size."

"Could this be related to the reason Lorelei is dissipating?" Tear asked.

"Most likely," Jade responded.

"Since Lorelei is losing seventh fonons, couldn't we just cut open these rocks and let the fonons return to the fon belt?" Ivalee questioned.

"No, that wouldn't do," Jade answered.

"Because it would take an enormous amount of time to cut open all of the rocks," Guy commented.

"And, when all of the rocks are gone, we'd just have to deal with the same problem again." Anise added.

"Well, at least we could do that to give us more time to figure something else out," Luke suggested. Natalia nodded.

"That would probably be smart," Natalia remarked.

"Shall we head back to the Radiation Gate to examine it more closely?" Jade inquired.

"Yea," Ivalee replied. She glanced at everyone staring at her. "W-what?"

"You're hiding something," Asch declared.

"W-what are you talking about?" she stammered.

"This," Jade grabbed her wrist and pulled it into view. On the underside, a small rolled up paper was tied to her wrist.

"Uh..." Ivalee pulled back her hand when Jade reached for the note.

"What does it say?" Luke asked curiously.

"N-Nothing, just a few notes I took during the discussion." She replied.

"Liar," Asch stated. He grabbed her arm and yanked it forward. Ivalee fell down, but she grasped her hand protectively. When she looked up, she saw her reflection in Asch's sword.

"Hand over that note." He commanded. Asch held a sword near her neck.

"Asch!" Natalia gasped.

"We need to know what's on that slip of paper," Asch answered. "Now, hand over that note!" Ivalee shook her head.

"No," She stated, her voice cracking.

"Fine. You leave me no choice." Asch knocked the side of his blade against her head. She fell unconsious on the floor, still gripping the paper.

"I don't know what's so important about it, but I'm about to find out." Asch wrenched the paper out of Ivalee's grasp. He unrolled the slip and scanned the paper.

"What the hell?"


	11. Arietta Strikes

**Author's Note: I've noticed I'm not the best with writing humor. I'm more of a drama and angst person. And, about the cliffhangers... I like to give the readers something to think about. Let their minds wander. So, yea! On to the story! (This is my longest chapter!)**

"What is it?" Mieu asked, bouncing up and down trying to see the paper.

"It's a map," Asch stated. He handed it to Jade. "Maybe you can make some sense of it." Jade examined it closely.

"It appears to be of the Radiation Gate." Jade pointed out. "There's a secret tunnel, leading to a room that's marked with an 'X'."

"Do you think something's back there?" Mieu asked. He bobbed up and down.

"Yea, probably." Luke answered. He glanced down at Ivalee.

"Are we just going to leave her here?" Luke questioned.

"I don't see why not," Asch retorted.

"Asch!" Natalia exclaimed angrily. "We can't do that!"

"You're right." Jade commented. "Luke, Asch, if one of you would be kind enough to carry her-"

"What? Why us?" They both asked Jade.

"Because making a woman carry someone is very rude, Guy has a phobia, and my bones are too old to lift like they used to."

"Whatever," they grumbled. Asch shoved Luke out of the way and picked Ivalee up. He centered her on his back. Everyone headed out of the lab and back to the Albiore 2.

--

_What happened...?_ Ivalee rubbed her head. She glanced around. They were on the Albiore 2, and she just happened to be right in the middle of everyone.

"Uh, hi. What'd I miss?" Ivalee looked around at everyone standing. Then, it hit her. She grabbed at her wrist, but there was no paper or string.

"Looking for this?" Jade questioned, holding out the map with the string tied to it. Ivalee's eyes lowered to the ground. _Damn, they're good._

"I can explain." She stated. "I found a note with that map in my room in Belkend in the middle of the night."

"Wait, where's the note?" Anise interrupted. Ivalee reached for her belt, but her sword wasn't there. Asch held it up.

"It's in there." Asch unsheathed the sword and a piece of paper floated to the ground. Tear picked it up and read it.

"Who sent you this?" she questioned. Ivalee shrugged her shoulders.

"Beats me, it was just sitting there when I woke up. Anyway, if you read the note, it demands that I go there, alone. I have to be there at an exact time, or they're going to destroy the cure for Lorelei."

"Destroy the cure?! That must mean they've found it!" Natalia gaped.

"Apparently so. I was just going to sneak off without any of you knowing since I didn't want any of you worrying." Ivalee explained. The floor suddenly became much more interesting for her.

"So, you were going to ditch us?" Anise asked irritability.

"Yea, pretty much." Tear passed the note around the room, letting everyone read it.

"You didn't mention that we weren't supposed to know about it!" Guy exclaimed. He held out the note to Ivalee. She took it from him and scanned it.

"Oh, oops. I must've skipped that part." She handed the note back to Guy. He continued to pass it along. "So... What are we going to do about it?" Ivalee asked when it came to Jade.

"Well," he started. "Since we weren't supposed to see this, then we'll have to act like we didn't. You'll sneak away while we all pretend to look around. Then, you will go to this area and see what they want. If they decide to let you go, just slip out and pretend to look around as if you were there the whole time."

"But what if they decide to hold me hostage?" Ivalee inquired.

"Then, you'll have to notify us with something. Like, leave a mark on the wall in that room so we know that you've been captured." Jade replied.

"Alright. I'll leave some sorta sign for you find."

"Make sure they wouldn't notice it, though." Luke added.

"Ok," Ivalee nodded.

--

They finally reached the Radiation Gate. It looked the same with all of the debris and trash everywhere. The spine stood as it always did, leading down to the Sephiroth. The party slid down the giant backbone with ease and they pretended to look around. Ivalee snuck off to the side and opened the secret passage. She glided through the hallway, her heart beating fast.

Ivalee came to the opening of a room and saw two God-Generals. Legretta the Quick and Arietta the Wild.

"You made it," Legretta told her. "With minutes to spare." Ivalee stepped in and glanced around. It was just a plain, stone room. Out of nowhere, she heard a loud crashing sound behind her. Whipping around, the hallway seemed to have disappeared. Instead, a wall was there.

"What do you want?" Ivalee turned around and asked.

"Revenge," Arietta answered. Ivalee scratched her head.

"What? To whom?"

"You."

"Why?! I never did anything to you!" Ivalee shouted.

"Yes, you did! You stole Sync from me!"

"...He never liked you..."

"He did until you came in the picture!"

"No, not really."

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"I will!" Arietta moved in closer. She held a rope in one hand.

Ivalee backed up to the wall. It was ridged and jagged. _Perfect..._ Ivalee swiped her hand against a sharp out jutting stone and felt a trick of blood. She wiped her hand on the rocks, leaving a small mark of blood on it.

Arietta pounced on Ivalee and held her to the ground.

"Hel-" Ivalee was cut off by the pain in her stomach. Arietta had jumped up and landed right on her. Legretta pointed her gun at Ivalee's head.

"Don't make another noise." Legretta threatened. Ivalee gulped. She watched as Arietta wrapped the rope around her arms and waist, and then tied it. Arietta yanked Ivalee's sword off of her belt and used it to knock her unconsious.

--

An hour later, Jade, Anise, Luke, Tear, Natalia, Asch, Guy, and Mieu wandered down the secret passageway. They came to a dead end.

"This is the right way, right?" Anise questioned Jade.

"Yes, this is where the map leads. The room should be right here." He answered. Jade summoned his spear and chipped some rock off the wall in front of them. It came off easily, a little too easily. "Hmm... Seems someone closed the door."

He swung his spear at the wall and managed to break a decent sized hole leading to a small room. Jade crawled through and started searching the walls. Anise, Luke, and Tear followed him in, but everyone else stayed out.

"If we go in, then it would be too crowded," Natalia explained. Everyone in the room searched the walls and floor for any sign.

"Hey, does this look normal?" Luke asked. He pointed to the wall, which had dim, dark red fingerprint on it.

"It's most likely Ivalee's," Tear said. "Which means she was caught."

"If I were to guess at where they went, it would be down this hallway." Jade had created another hole on the other side of the room, which revealed another hallway. He crawled through it, followed by everyone else. The people who had stayed in the hallway now jumped in the room and followed the others down the passageway.

This hallway twisted and turned all which ways. It curved left and right, making traveling longer than it needed to be. Cobwebs lined the outer edges, but none seemed to block the way.

"Are we there yet?" Anise asked. She scratched some spider webs off of her head.

"Not quite," Jade answered. He continued to walk towards the exit. "Now we are." The hallway widened up and snow covered the ground. The scene extended to the ocean.

Far off in the distance, there was a boat. It was barely visible.

Anise sighed. "Looks like we're heading to Daath..."

--

Ivalee woke up on a boat. She stirred around and noticed the three other people in the room. Arietta stood about five feet away, holding some thorny-looking rope. Legretta was on the opposite side with her guns out and ready. There was on Oracle Knight standing to the side, just in case.

"Where the hell am I?!" Ivalee asked irritably. She stared at the rope in Arietta's hands.

"We're on a boat near Daath," Legretta replied. She nodded to Arietta who got whatever message they were signaling. Legretta walked over to Ivalee and picked her up. She held both of Ivalee's arms behind her back.

Arietta strolled to Ivalee and straightened the thorny rope. She bent down and tied it around Ivalee's ankles.

Ivalee bit her lip to keep from screaming. The searing pain shocked every part of her body. It ached everywhere.

Arietta found another piece of the rope on the table near them and wrapped it around Ivalee's wrists behind her back.

Ivalee grinded her teeth. She glared at Arietta, who tightened the knot. Both girls stood there for a few minutes glaring daggers at each other. Legretta interrupted the moment by pushing Ivalee towards the door. She winced in pain as the ropes scratched back and forth on her wrists and ankles.

--

Minutes later, they arrived down in the cellars underground. She was lead to a small, dark room. It stunk of rotten food and dead animals. (Not a very good smell, eh?) There was a small window with steel bars in the door, so there was no escaping.

Legretta opened the door to the room and tossed Ivalee in. The impact on the ground was too much for her. She finally let out a pained scream. Arietta smirked and slammed the door shut. (She doesn't smirk often...)

Ivalee crawled to the wall, biting her lips. She positioned herself so that her back was leaning against the wall, her hands not touching the wall, and her feet slightly bent. Even with her new position, the pain continued to bite at her body.

Her head began to hurt. The small, lighted window spun around in circles. Her body slumped to the ground and her consciousness slipped from her.

--

Ivalee woke up and was greeted with pain. She crawled back in the position she was in earlier, but the pain refused to vanish. Blood trickled down her hands and feet. It dropped to the floor and oozed on the walls. Ivalee felt an immensely horrible headache creep onto her mind.

She sat there for what seemed like hours on end. Then, Ivalee heard Dist outside. He opened the door and motioned her to come out.

"Do you really think I can move?!" she asked bitterly. Dist rolled his eyes and flew his chair over to her. He picked her up by the back of her dress, avoiding contact with her blood.

They flew down the damp hallway and arrived at a bathroom. There was a shower with soap and shampoo and a toilet. One sink lay on the opposite to the shower. The room wasn't exactly the cleanest, but it was better than the dark cell room.

"Shower up and get dressed in this outfit," Dist commanded. He seemed slightly annoyed.

Dist dropped her on the ground and cut the ropes. He tossed a pile of clothes on the side of the sink and trailed out the door. The door slammed shut.

Ivalee stood up wearily and walked to the shower. She washed herself off and cleaned her hair, which was a complete mess. The whole time she had trouble doing anything with her sore wrists and ankles.

Ivalee stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. She sat on the toilet seat lid and stared at the wall.

Minutes later, a knock was heard.

"Are you done yet?" Dist questioned angrily.

"No! Go away!" she replied.

"I have orders to have you ready, so hurry up!"

"No,"

"Fine, I'll just come in there-"

"Wait, wait! Hold on!" Ivalee interrupted. She slipped on the outfit Dist gave her.

It was a dark blue top with cap sleeves and a 'V' neck. The pants were plain white and ended between her ankles and knees. The clothes, amazingly, fit her.

Ivalee opened the door to reveal Dist, sitting on his chair, very impatiently.

"Finally!" he exclaimed. Dist grabbed her hand and pulled her on his chair. She cringed in pain since her injuries were still fresh. He floated back down the hallway and up some steps.

Dist opened a door and shoved Ivalee in. He slammed it shut quickly. Arietta stood in the middle, holding her sword.

"I'd like you to meet someone." She motioned behind her. A girl about fifteen took a few steps to the left. Her blood red hair ran down to her hips and she wore the exact same outfit that Ivalee had on. The girl's red eyes stared back at her.

"So this is the person I was created from." The mysterious girl stated. Her voice was so alike her own, except that hr voice had a touch of hatred in it. (It's like one of those snotty spoiled brats' voices, ya know?)

"Created from?" Ivalee questioned. She tilted her head to the side. _She looks just like me, but how-_

"You _still_ haven't figured it out? Pathetic." The look-alike girl said sourly.

"Replica..." Ivalee breathed.

"Congrats! You're a genius!" the replica mocked dryly.

"What do you plan to do with this replica?" Ivalee asked and turned her attention back to Arietta.

"Well, let's see..."

--

"Where do you think she could be?" Natalia questioned no one in particular. They headed up the stairs and into the cathedral in Daath. Five soldiers wearing Kimlasca armor walked past them. They were formed in a circle and one person stood in the center.

"Natalia?" the man in the middle of the soldiers said. He stepped out and greeted her with a smile.

"Father!" Natalia rushed up and hugged him. "What are you doing here in Daath?"

"I'm here for an important meeting." King Ingobert told her. Jade raised an eyebrow.

"Meeting?" Anise asked curiously.

"Why, yes. I was invited here for the announcement of the new commandant. Well actually, both Natalia and Asch were invited too." Peony came out of the door on the left.

"Hey, Jade! What's up?" He waved. Jade held his hand to his forehead.

"Peony, where are your guards?" he inquired.

"I ditched them back at the chapel. Then I got lost in this library and ended up here." Four Malkuth guards came out of the chapel doors.

"Your majesty!" they saluted. His personal guards gathered around him.

"The auditorium is this way." One of them said. Peony nodded.

"Let's go. Nice seeing you, Jade!" The Malkuthian king trotted off behind his guards.

"I think I know where she is," Guy stated.

"Your majesty," Asch started.

"No, call me father." The king corrected him.

"Father," Asch started again. "We would like to attend the meeting with you."

"Excellent!" Ingobert exclaimed. He ushered the guards to surround the whole group. "We'll be on our way then."

--

"You can't do that!!" Ivalee yelled at Arietta.

"I can't, but you can." Arietta smirked. She and the replica walked out the other door behind them and shut it. Ivalee ran to the door, but it closed before she could get out.

"Damn it!" she cursed. "I can't let this happen!" Ivalee began pounding her fists on the door. "Is anyone out there?! Help! I need to get out!"

--

The party arrived in the auditorium minutes later. It was crowded with all of the high-ranking citizens of both countries and all of the neutral cities. (Such as Chesedonia and Daath.)

Sync stood off to the side, speaking to Arietta who blabbed on about her ligers.

"And then the liger pounced on the..." Sync spaced out and missed practically every word Arietta said. A familiar person, wearing a blue top and white pants, caught his attention.

Sync turned away from Arietta and walked over to the girl he knew so well. He whipped her around and stared into those ruby orbs.

"Ivalee, I didn't think you could make it." he said. Ivalee just smiled.

"I'd never miss something like this," she grappled onto his and pressed her lips against his. Her arms wrapped around his neck.

Sync wore a shocked expression when Ivalee let go of him.

"What-"

"Come on," Ivalee interrupted. "I think the announcement will started soon." She half dragged him by his collar towards the front of the room. Though, Sync was unaware that it was a replica that kissed him, not Ivalee.

--

"Why won't anyone open this door?!" Ivalee slammed her fists on the door. She sank to the ground. "I need to get out!"

"Why?" A voice finally answered from the other side. Ivalee breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just let me out!" she commanded.

"Now, that's no way to treat your elders." He teased.

"Damn it, Jade! Let me out!" Jade opened the door and caught Ivalee as she toppled over.

"What's with the hurry?" Jade asked.

"There are lives at stake here!"

"Technically, there are always lives in dange-"

"Jade! We have no time for facts!!" she shouted at him. "Look, Dist and Arietta made a replica of me and if someone doesn't get up to that meeting right away, then my replica will kill Anise!!"


	12. Saved by Sync

**Author's Note: Damn, this was late! I hope no one is too mad at me. Enjoy! **

"Let's move!" Ivalee commanded. Jade started running towards the stairs. Ivalee limped after him and up the stairs.

--

The Ivalee replica let go of Sync and stepped on stage. She cleared her throat and caught everyone's attention.

"I'd like to welcome Fon Master Anise to the stage to announce our new commandant!" She cheered. Most everyone clapped and applauded.

Anise was befuddled. _Since when was I supposed to announce this? _She was ushered to the stage by many citizens of the world.

Anise only got one foot on the stage before the doors on the opposite side burst open. It sent a loud crashing sound throughout the area. The room went silent.

Jade stood in the doorway. He waltzed all the way to the opposite side of the room, where Anise was. He grabbed her arm and led her away from the stage, making Ivalee scowl.

"Ivalee, please come here." Jade directed his attention to the opened doors. The replica on stage started to move towards them, but Jade saw her. "I didn't mean you."

The real Ivalee entered the room. She wore a frown on her face.

"That person," Ivalee started, pointing to the stage, "is a replica." There were several gasps from the audience.

"You're lying! I'm the real Ivalee!" the replica who stood on stage exclaimed. She walked off the stage and to Ivalee.

"No! I am!" Ivalee protested.

"Stop lying to everyone!" the replica shouted in her face.

"I'm not lying! You are!"

"Enough!" King Ingobert declared. Both girls stopped and turned to face him.

"I think it'd be best if we test to see who is the real Ivalee." Natalia suggested. Ingobert nodded.

"And how will you find out which is the real one and the replica?" The King questioned his daughter.

"Hold out both of your hands." Anise commanded. Both girls held out their hands while Anise walked by and inspected them. "This," Anise declared, pointing at Ivalee. "is the real Ivalee."

"How do you know?" Asch asked.

"Because in the room that Ivalee was captured, she left a mark of blood on the wall. And this girl indeed has a small scar on her finger." Anise answered his question. The replica scowled.

"Arrest her!" Ingobert ordered. Two guards rushed over and restrained her. They half-dragged Ivalee's replica out of sight.

"Now that that's over, I have some unfinished business." Ivalee turned to Arietta who was standing a few feet away. She waltzed up to her and punched her square in the face.

"Augh!" Arietta dropped to the ground on her butt. "What was that for?"

"You know why!" Ivalee hissed at her. "And, if you decide to try another scheme, then you can have him. I'd rather be alive and alone than be dead and with Sync."

"Ivalee, what are you talking abou-" Sync was about to asked before he got cut off.

"Ask Miss Wild over there." Ivalee retorted. She headed for the door, but Sync caught her wrist. He noticed her flinch.

"I'm going to get some rest now, so please let go of me." Ivalee said not so pleasantly. When Sync refused to let go, she yanked her arm away from him. Natalia gasped.

"What happened to your wrist?" the princess inquired. Ivalee's wrist had started to bleed again.

"I'll explain to you later when there's not so many people watching us," Ivalee said, slightly quieter. Her eyes shifted back and forth around the room. She left the room and sped down the stairs of the Cathedral.

By then the sky was pitch black. There was no moon or stars, leaving only the streetlights to guide the way.

Ivalee walked passed the closed shops until she arrived to one store that was open. She silently slipped in and strolled to the front counter.

"May I help you?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Yea," Ivalee glanced around the store. "Could I buy an item bag with some gels and life bottles, please?" The store clerk bent down and gathered the requested materials. Then he handed then to Ivalee.

"Anything else?" _Hmm... I'd be best if I changed clothes, considering the replica that Arietta created is still wearing these._

"Could I get a change of clothes?" she questioned. The man nodded. He turned around and shuffled through a rack behind the counter. His eyes glanced back at her once before continuing the search. The merchant turned to face her again with a set of clothes and shoes.

"This is all that will fit you," he stated, handing her the merchandise. Ivalee paid for the items and paced to the restroom to change.

When she came out, Ivalee wore black high heels with thin straps. Her skirt was black and ended in the middle of her thigh. Ivalee's shirt was a bright yellow color that had sleeves that wrapped around her arms, instead of her shoulders. They came to a point in the middle of the top of the blouse. The top ended an inch or two below her breast.

Ivalee bought a loose jacket for when it would get cold and slide it on. She grabbed her item bag and stepped outside the small building. The wind picked up as she strolled along the streets, blowing her jacket in all which ways. Ivalee zipped it up and continued towards the pier.

A shuffling noise was heard behind her. Ivalee whipped around, but no one was there.

"Hello?" Ivalee called out. "Is someone there?" When nobody answered, she turned back around. Ivalee ran right into someone in front of her. "Oh sorry! I didn't-" Ivalee stopped as soon as she looked up into his green eyes.

--

Sync ran out the doors to the Cathedral. He looked around, but there was no one on the streets. His feet sprinted off down the road while his eyes glanced back and forth, searching for her.

--

Footsteps echoed through the quiet city. A man rushed past all of the signs and streets. His green orbs cast worried glances everywhere. His arms were cuddling Ivalee close to his chest.

Her eyes were shut and her hair spilled over her body. She was asleep in his arms, not knowing what was happening.

--

Sync skidded to a stop when he heard something. He turned around and saw a huddled man with brown hair scurry by. The Commandant was about to continue his hunt, but the figure in the mysterious man's arms caught his attention. Sync could see red hair flowing down from his hands. And there was only one person with red hair out that night.

Sync sprinted towards Ivalee and the brown-haired person. He quickly caught up to them and slammed his fist in the man's arm. He dropped Ivalee and grasped his wounded limb. Sync dived down and grabbed Ivalee from hitting the cement street.

Her eyes fluttered open when she felt the sudden movement. She looked up at his worried face.

"S-Sync?" Ivalee asked weakly. Sync nodded and helped her up. She wobbled a bit, but gained her balance back. His eyes widened as he saw what she was wearing.

"-nc!" she snapped him out of his trance, sending his vision back up to her face. "Stop staring, it's very embarrassing..." Sync placed his hand on her shoulder, and then let it slide down some. Ivalee winced.

His curious mind led him to lifting up her sleeve ever so slightly. Sync gaped in horror at the picture that was etched on her arm.

Two vines twisted around her arm with leaves sprouting out on either sides. Her name was between them, sketched in neat, yet elegant letters. On both sides of her name were circles that had a single strand connecting the two together.

"Heheh, like my handiwork, eh?" the man's heartless voice said.

"Take it off of her," Sync growled, pulling her sleeve back down.

"Sorry, but only she can take it off now." The brown-haired guy smirked. Sync's fists clenched. Ivalee cocked her head.

"What? What do you need to remove?" Ivalee questioned, unaware of the mark on her arm. Sync lifted her left sleeve again, showing the black etchings. "What is that?"

"It's a fonic arte applied to the body. It works exactly like a fon slot seal." Sync told her. Ivalee's eyes widened.

"Now get rid of it," Sync commanded once more. The strange male just shrugged.

"Can't. Like I said, only _she_ can remove it." Sync tackled the guy to the ground, but his enemy was stronger. He kicked Sync off and pinned him against the ground.

"Sync!" Ivalee gasped. She ran up and tried to pry the man off of Sync. But he just pushed her back. She sheathed her sword and whacked the flat part wildly against the side of his head. He fell of Sync and rolled over. Sync jumped up and snatched the sword from her hands.

"This is how you knock someone out." He slammed the side of the blade against the male's head, slightly angled. He dropped unconsious in a heap. Sync tossed Ivalee her sword back. She slid it back away and turned back to Sync. He stood there, looking down at her.

"Thanks," she whispered in his ear. Ivalee got on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He lowered his head and let the space between their faces close in.

When their lips parted, he wore a smug expression.

"Your welcome."


	13. Heading Off

**Author's Note's: Eh, I haven't done the disclaimer in a while. So, I don't own Tales of the Abyss! OK, disclaimer done. If you don't know what the thing on Ivalee's arm is, I suggest you go back to the previous chapter and read over it. It tells what it is in that chapter.**

Ivalee grinned. She turned around and waltzed down the street, with Sync's eyes watching her leave.

Sync saw her round the corner and disappear from sight. His eyes didn't leave that spot for a few minutes, wishing she'd come back around that corner.

--

Once Ivalee got out of Sync sight, she ran towards the inn. Shuffling through her newly purchased bag, Ivalee found a slip of paper and a pen. She scribbled some words on it and pushed the inn door open.

"Hey, excuse me." Ivalee got the attention of the innkeeper.

"Yes?" the woman behind the counter replied.

"When two guys with red hair comes in, could you give this to them?" Ivalee handed the woman the slip of paper she had written on.

"Alright."

"Thanks." Ivalee rushed back out the doorway into the cold, dark night. She got out her jacket and pulled it on, then sprinted all the way to the dock.

--

Sync headed back to the Cathedral to get some rest. He trotted up the stairs and past all of the guards and up more stairs to get to his room. Sync pulled out the key and unlocked the door. He plopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. After minutes of thing, it hit him.

"Why the hell did I let her go?!" he smacked his hand to his forehead. Sync jumped up and bolted out the door.

--

Ivalee stepped up to the dock. The smell of saltwater filled her nostrils. She shrugged it off and went to the counter.

"Could I have a ticket to Sheridan?" she asked. The half-asleep man pulled out a ticket and handed it to her. Ivalee dropped some Gald on the table and ambled to the boat. It was small with something written on the side, but it was too dark to tell what.

Ivalee boarded the ship and headed to the cabins. She laid down and closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to a deep slumber.

--

Sync opened the door to the inn. He walked up to the woman at the counter.

"Did you see a girl with red hair anywhere?" he asked.

"Yea, she came in here and told me to give this note to two red-haired guys when they come in here." The innkeeper replied.

"Could I see the note?" Sync asked impatiently.

"Nope, sorry. You don't look like two red hair guys to me." She answered. Sync silently cursed.

"Could you at least tell me where she went?" he inquired.

"She rushed out the door in that direction," the woman pointed. Sync dashed out the door without another word.

--

Minutes later, the party entered the inn half-dragging themselves. It was still late at night, so everyone was tired.

"Could we have three rooms?" Luke asked the woman at the counter.

"Of course," she answered. "Oh, and also; some girl came in here earlier and handed me this note, saying to give it to two red-haired guys." The lady handed him three room keys and the note. Luke tossed the keys to Asch and read over the piece of paper.

_Dear Everyone,_

_I left early because I wanted to make sure that Arietta wouldn't catch up with me. I'll meet you at the Radiation Gate in a day or two. See you then!_

_Ivalee_

Anise stood on her toes and glanced over Luke's shoulder. Tear was on the other side of him looking at the letter. Mieu bounced up onto Luke's head. He leaned forward, but slipped and fell down. Luke dropped the paper when Mieu landed on it.

"Mieu!" They all exclaimed at once.

"Mieu... I'm sorry Master..." Mieu apologized. He stood up and picked up the paper under him. Jade took the paper from him and scanned over it.

"Ivalee has already left," he stated. "She says she'll meet us at the Radiation Gate in a few days."

"Let's get some rest before heading out," Natalia suggested. Asch handed a key to Luke and one to Tear. Then they parted ways.

--

Sync reached the port and rushed to the counter.

"Have you seen a girl with red hair anywhere?" he asked. The man behind the counter had his head on the table and didn't respond. "Hello?" Sync asked.

"Oh, sorry. He's asleep. Can I help you?" A woman appeared right next to the sleeping guy.

"Uh, yea. I'm looking for young girl with red hair."

"Hmm... Now that you mention it, I have seen the person you're looking for."

"Where'd she go?"

"What's your relation to her?" the lady asked.

"What?" Sync stood there, confused.

"I need to know your relationship before I came give away where she went."

"Well, she's my gir-" he paused. "friend, we're just friends."

"Uh huh... Sure you are..."

"Just tell me where she went already!" Sync demanded, his patience running out.

"Alright! She boarded a boat over there." The woman pointed to the dock where five ships were docked.

"Which one?"

"I dunno, I wasn't paying attention." She replied. Sync put his hand on his forehead.

"Where are the boats going?"

"Buy a ticket and I'll tell you."

"What?! Why can't you just tell me?!" he slammed his fists against the counter. She shrugged.

"Fine, just give me a ticket for each of them."

"Sorry, but two of the boats are leaving now." The two boats on the left started moving.

"Just tell me where they are going before I call some Oracle knights to arrest you."

"Fine," she said sternly. "Two boats are going to Grand Chokmah and Baticul. Another is going to Yulia City. And the two that just left are headed to Sheridan and Belkend."

"Why didn't you just tell me that in the beginning?" Sync said, his temper calming down.

"Because the girl you're looking for paid me to stall you. Just until her boat left." The lady sighed. "You're way to hard to stall, ya know that?" Sync turned around and headed back to the cathedral in defeat.


	14. Dangerous Traveling

****

Author's Note: There's a flashback in here, but I didn't put the words around it. Instead, I italicized it.

"Pull up to the side of that boat." Sync commanded the captain. The Commandant stared at the little boat heading to Sheridan.

Earlier this morning, he had dragged himself back to the port and took over one of the larger ships there. Then Sync started for the boat that headed to Belkend. After a full- inventory search, he had not found Ivalee. So they left to the boat that was going to Sheridan.

Sync's ship was right next the ferry. The crew lowered a board down to connect the two. Sync smirked. _You can't run forever..._

* * *

Ivalee finished taking a shower and wrapped a towel around herself. She took another towel and covered her hair with it. The window hung widely open, bringing a slight breeze inside.

There was a knock at her door.

"Hold on!" She shouted. Ivalee quickly put on her clothes and brushed out her wet hair. She opened the door to find the one person she didn't want to see.

Sync stood there with his arms crossed, a frown on his face. Ivalee's usual smile turned into a scared expression. She slammed the door and held it shut.

"Open the door!" Sync yelled. Ivalee pressed her back against the door. She looked back and forth through the room. Her sword was on the bed, a few feet away.

Ivalee's feet were sliding forward. She couldn't hold it any longer. The door burst open, sending Ivalee to the ground. Sync walked in with two soldiers tailing him.

Ivalee scrambled up. She ducked under Sync's arm and the soldiers' arms. Sync spun around and saw the end of her hair disappear around the corner. The three of them dashed after her.

She ran into the cockpit and rushed into the connecting room on the other side. There were crates near the door. There was someone asleep on the bed; most likely the captain's son. Ivalee glanced at the crates, then at the bed.

Sync opened the door to the captain's quarters. He approached the bed, where a sleeping boy lay. There was something right next to him under the blankets. His breath got caught in his throat. Sync carefully pulled back to cover.

It was just a pillow. Sync breathed a sigh of relief. The floor creaked near the door. He whipped around and saw Ivalee frozen in place while looking at him. She bolted out the room. Sync followed her down the hallway.

He saw her round the corner. The two other Oracle knights caught up with him again and they all turned down the corridor. It was a dead end, but Ivalee somehow wasn't there.

"Keep your eyes open, I have a feeling that she's still on the ship." Sync said.-

Ivalee panted for breath. She stood up, walked to her bed, and sat down.

_She ran into a dead end. The wall was too high to climb, and she'd definitely get caught if she turned back. Ivalee ran to the edge and looked down. Her room was just below there, and her window was wide open. She made a risky move and jumped off. _

_Her hand caught the edge of the window, but just barely. She glanced down at the ocean. It was a long way down, into a watery death; somewhere Ivalee didn't want to be._

_Ivalee heaved herself inside the room. She slumped to the floor and took a deep breath. _

Ivalee grabbed her sword and held it tight. For the next hour, she'd have to be on her best lookout.

* * *

Once the ship docked, Ivalee put her hair up and covered it with a hat so she wouldn't stick out. It was to her advantage that there was a drizzle in Sheridan at the moment. She could wear a hat and coat just like everyone else.

She grabbed a plain, brown jacket and her item bag, then took off in the crowd of people.

* * *

Sync scanned the crowd as he too, descended from the small boat. His larger ship was docked right next to it.

He didn't spot Ivalee, but somehow he knew she was somewhere there. The slight rain drenched his hair and face, but he simply brushed it away. Sync would find her, no matter what.

* * *

Ivalee hurried down the street to the town hall. She opened the door and saw Aston standing near the table. He turned to look at her.

"What?" he asked. Ivalee came in and shut the door behind her.

"I need a ship." She told him.

"No." His answer was short and to the point.

"Luke and Asch sent me." Ivalee added, hoping he'd give in.

"You mean, Luke and Asch _fon Fabre_?'

"Yea." She replied. Aston tapped his chin in thought.

"You're in luck. There's a ship that's been wrecked for some time, and it's almost ready to head out." Ivalee brightened at the news. "Just go to the shop not to far from here and get a few things for me, ok?" She nodded. Aston handed her a small list of parts.

Ivalee exited and walked down the wet road. She came to a building that had a sign on it that said 'Open.'

Ivalee rushed into the store. She quickly showed the man the list and bought the parts. Sync was out there; she knew it. Oracle knights were posted all over the place. Ivalee had to be really careful not to get caught.

Once she had paid for the different parts, Ivalee took off her hat and shook out her hair. It was damp from the rain outside and she didn't want it to slip out accidentally. After readjusting her hair on her head, she hurried back to the town hall where Aston was waiting.

* * *

Sync stood on top of the town hall, looking for Ivalee. He finally spotted her exiting a building.It was obvious to him that it was Ivalee. The way she glanced back and forth all the time, as if avoiding someone. And the brown coat was much too large for her. Sync decided to watch her for a bit longer to see what she was up to.

* * *

Aston was looking at some blueprints when Ivalee entered the room. His eyes redirected to the girl standing in the doorway.

"Ah, there you are. I was just looking over the overview of the ship you requested." Aston said.

"Here are the parts you needed." Ivalee handed him the box of components.

"Your ship should be ready in a couple of hours," Aston turned around and started shuffling through some tools. Ivalee left him to his work and went to go stock up on supplies.

* * *

He saw Ivalee leave the town hall. Once she was out of sight, Sync jumped off of the building. He entered it to find Aston picking up a box, some papers, and a container of tools.

"Hey, what'd Ivalee want?" Sync asked.

"She wants to use a ship." He replied while heading for the door.

"Cancel that." The Commandant declared. Aston looked at him strangely.

"What?"

"She's coming with me instead."

"Well, alright." Aston said. "Just give her this gald and tell her thanks for me, ok?"

"Mmhmm..." Sync muttered, taking the coins. Aston left without another word. He followed suit, except headed to the shops instead of the dock.

* * *

Ivalee glanced over the delicious looking food. Her taste buds soared with all of the fancy foods everywhere. She was so used to plain, normal things like eggs and carrots and such. But these were covered with spices from around the world and sauces fit for kings. They were combined to make a yummy treat for anyone, big or small.

"Are you going to buy something?" The man at the stall questioned impatiently.

"Do you have anything cheaper, like plain rappig?" Ivalee asked.

"Sorry, I'm all out."

"Oh," she turned to leave.

"Wait! I think I have a little bit left." He bent down and rummaged through some jars. The man stood back up with a small bag of it.

"Thanks so much!" Ivalee exclaimed. She handed him the coins, and just in case Sync was watching...She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Just for a split second. Ivalee turned and left the guy standing there, shocked.

* * *

Anger and jealousy boiled inside of him. _What gives her the right to do that?!_ Sync thought to himself. _She can't just go around kissing random men! Especially when we... When I catch her, Oh, she'll be in for it..._

* * *

Ivalee looked down at her coin purse. It was running really low, like only a few Gald left. _Let's see... One, two, thre- _

SLAM! She ran right into someone's back. Ivalee caught her balance and didn't fall, but her Gald wasn't so lucky.

She couldn't see his face or his hair, thanks to the hat he was wearing. Only his mouth was in sight. He wore a long, black coat the reached to his feet.

The person whipped around and grabbed her arm when she reached for the coins. Ivalee gasped. He raised his head so that she could she his face.

"You're not the only one who can wear a disguise." Sync smirked. His free hand flew to clamp over her mouth before she could say anything. He pulled her to the side of the street and let her talk.

"Sync! Let go!" she squealed. Ivalee hit his hand that was holding her arm, but he didn't release her. His other hand pulled the hat off her head. Her blood-red hair tumbled down, still damp from the rain. Sync unbuttoned her brown coat, revealing her gray jacket and black skirt.

"We're leaving." He started towards the dock. Ivalee dug her heels into the ground. Sync yanked her forward with a little more force than necessary. She went flying and hit his chest.

"Could you at least be a little nicer?" Ivalee asked, stepping a few inches away and brushing herself off.

"No."

"Oh, I see. You're jealous 'cause I kissed that man over there." Ivalee teased. She saw Sync tense up.

"You'd be a lot easier to get to the dock if you were unconsious," Sync commented.

"Why don't you then, huh?" Ivalee grinned. She was _so_ winning this argument.

"I thought I was being nice," Sync replied.

"That's a twist." Ivalee retorted. They glared at each other for a few seconds. Sync tossed his black coat and hat on the ground and continued to half-drag her to the port.

"Damn bastard..." she muttered. Sync turned around and grabbed her sword. He tried to knock her unconsious, but she ducked. Ivalee grabbed his leg while crouching and pulled it up. He fell backwards and landed on his back. Ivalee tried to run, but she was pulled back by Sync's incredibly strong grip on her arm. She toppled onto of him.

"Don't think you can get away that easily." Sync said in her ear. He dropped her arm and picked himself up, then helped Ivalee up.

"You could at least be a little less strong, ya know?" Ivalee took his outstretched hand and stood up. "Then I'd have a chance to escape."

"What if I don't want you to have that chance?" He questioned.

"Why wouldn't you? Don't you like challenges?" She smiled innocently. Her smile was sickly sweet to Sync. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"No." He stated. Her cute, little innocent look turned into a straight-out glare.

"So," she started. "I _have_ to go with you?" He nodded. Ivalee sighed. Sync led her towards his ship without much resistance.

* * *

Luke yawned and trudged onto the Albiore 2. He sat down in one of the seats and stretched out his arms.

"You're finally up." Guy walked around and sat in the chair next to him.

"Yea! We would have left without you if it wasn't for Tear." Anise said. She jumped into view. Guy shot her a glare.

"She didn't mean it _that_ way. It's just, we thought you were already on board, but Tear went in your room to wake you up, but you weren't there." Guy explained.

"Well, I'm here now. So let's get going." Luke said. Noelle started up the Albiore and took off.

* * *

Ivalee leaned against the railing. She stared out towards the port, which was becoming smaller with every second. Once Sync and Ivalee had reached the ship, he left her on the deck while he went to tell the captain where to go. He'd probably have to stay there until they arrived at the Radiation Gate, since the captain had never been there before.

She breathed out a sigh and continued to stare out into space. The deep blue water sloshed against the sides of the vessel. Her hair whipped around, flying every which way.

Dark, grey clouds loomed overhead, just waiting for the right moment to pour down. Thunder crackled, yet Ivalee was unfazed. Lightning flashed, miles away, but she still didn't do anything except stare.

Rain started to fall and the wind became stronger. Lightning appeared at the same time that the thunder sounded. The rain continued to drench everything in its path while still getting harder.

Ivalee heard her name being called. Even with the storm going on, she could identify that voice.

"Ivalee! Get in here!" Sync yelled. She turned around and saw him at the door. He seemed so far away. Ivalee started to run towards him, but lightning struck. She jumped back and landed on her butt. Sync rushed out and kneeled next to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She rubbed leg and nodded. Lightning struck the mast and made it fall. It landed a few feet away from them with a loud crash. Startled, Ivalee hugged Sync and buried her face in his wet clothes. Sync noticed Ivalee shiver. He wrapped his arms around her. They needed to get inside before something else happens.

* * *

"Aah!" Everyone screamed as the Albiore 2 shifted abruptly to the side. Tear and Jade were standing while the rest were sitting down. Mieu was inside the item bag, which at this point, was sliding back and forth as the Albiore tipped.

"Mieuuu...I'm getting sick." The fuzzy little cheagle stuck his head out of the bag. His head rocked back and forth.

Tear slammed against the wall as the Albiore shifted again. Jade, miraculously, didn't do the same.

"You two need to sit down!" Guy shouted over the storm outside. He gripped the armchairs to keep from flying.

Tear used the wall to help her stand up. She carefully walked towards the chairs, but lost her balance when the floor tilted. Luke reached out and grabbed her hand. He pulled her back to the chairs and helped her sit down. Tear blushed a light pink color.

"Thank you." She told Luke. Jade held onto one of the bars on the wall.

"Look for something to land on before we crash!" Noelle yelled. They all glanced out the windows.

"Hey! I found something!" Natalia pointed out her window. Asch was sitting next to her and looked out.

"It's a ship!" He hollered. It wasn't very far away, so he had a clear shot of it. That's when he noticed two, colorful-haired people on the deck.

"I'll get clearance to land!" Noelle turned on the lights. She directed the Albiore closer to the ship. The light shined on the two people aboard.

* * *

A bright light came from the left. Sync looked up at it while shielding his eyes with one hand. His other was still around Ivalee. He couldn't exactly tell what the light was coming from, but he had an idea of who it was.

**Author's Note: Ivalee acted a bit dumb there, didn't she? Not going inside when the storm started. All reviews will be replied!**


	15. The Solution

**Author's Note: I am soooooo sorry for the late update! I got a Wii not too long ago, so I've been occupied with that. Sorry if it's rushed, I needed to get this posted before any violence occurred.**

The Albiore 2 landed with a loud thump against the deck. The door flew open, revealing Jade and Anise at the doorway. Jade motioned to come forward. Sync stood up with Ivalee in his arms and walked forward. Ivalee didn't look up, she just sat there with her head buried in his soaked clothes and her arms around his back.

"If you take her, you take me too." Sync stated. He stared intently at Jade. Jade nodded, letting them step in. Anise shut the door behind the twosome.

Inside the Albiore 2 was much warmer and drier than the outside. It swayed a bit, but definitely not as much as when they were in the air.

Sync set Ivalee down on one of the chairs, then sat down in the one next to her. Natalia grabbed a blanket and handed it to Ivalee, who graciously accepted.

Awkward silence filled the air. The hushed sound of the waves crashing against the boat was the only thing heard. That is, until the ship leaned too much to the left.

"Aah!" Anise screamed as the unexpected lurch threw her against the wall. Even Jade didn't expect it and almost slipped. Tear fell into Luke's lap while Guy fell across the aisles and into Asch. Guy jumped back and landed in his seat before Asch made any unnecessary violence. Tear sat up and turned her head away in hope that she could hide her embarrassment from Luke.

"What happened?!" Anise asked, rubbing her aching back. Sync jumped up and opened the door.

Loud thunder boomed overhead as the lightning flashed. Water was sinking the left side of the boat down. What he couldn't see was the giant hole in the side, lower down. Sync closed the hatch and shook off some of the excess water from his hair.

"Water is filling up the boat, and quickly." Sync stated while shutting the door.

"We're going to head for the nearest land." Noelle said.

"Wait!" Anise rushed up to the pilot. "What about the crew? How will they get out?"

"They'll probably take the small boat. It has better steering than this huge ship." Sync answered her question. Noelle nodded and started the engine. They lifted just barely off the ship, enough to get over the railing and onto the water.

The Albiore slammed on the surface of the deep blue sea. Sync hadn't gotten a chance to sit down, so he toppled to the ground. Noelle yanked on the steering wheel so hard that her hands were hurting.

The little island wasn't far away; it's just that the storm slowed their movement. It tottered back and forth, making Luke want to puke. Mieu stuck his head out again.

"Are we there yet?" he squeaked. Jade looked down at the fuzzy creature.

"No, not yet." The Necromancer replied.

Finally given the chance, Sync stood back up and took his seat next to Ivalee. He purposely avoided her gaze and instead, looked out the window.

"Hold on!" Noelle shouted. The Albiore 2 suddenly stopped and sent everyone forward. Save Jade, Guy, and Mieu, they all ended up on the ground.

Natalia and Asch ended up in a heap on the floor together. Luke and Tear both crashed against the chairs in front of them, which Ivalee and Sync sat in. Then they sank to the floor. Jade's foot had stepped on the item bag's strap, so Mieu didn't go anywhere.

Guy had gripped his armrests and pressed his back to the chair. The blonde swordsman leaned forward when they stopped, but luckily didn't fall. Sync would have stayed upright if it wasn't for Ivalee. She slipped off her chair, but grabbed his hand and dragged him forward. Anise fell off her seat and slid under the chair. Her feet hit the back of the pilot's and stopped her from colliding into Noelle.

"Everyone ok?" Noelle asked while glancing back. She received several nods, 'yes's, and groans.

--

After everybody recovered, they retreated to bed. Jade got the back room bed and Anise slept on the floor in there. Natalia, Asch, Tear, and Ivalee slept on the main room floor. Leaving Sync and Luke to sleep on the chairs. Mieu just stayed in the item bag and Noelle kept to her pilot seat.

--

Once Ivalee woke up, Sync was nowhere to be found. _He must've left during the night... Smart bastard..._ She thought, smiling to herself. Surprisingly, no one else was in the Albiore, save Noelle, who was taking a nap in her chair. She scrambled up and out the door. Ivalee strolled down the spine to the Sephiroth and spotted the group near the edge.

"Do you think it has something to do with Lorelei's condition?" Guy asked Jade.

"I'm not sure. Luke, Asch, could you two direct a hyperressonance down to the bottom and carve away the rocks?" Jade turned to the redheads.

"Hey, what about me?" Ivalee said while walking to them.

"You can help if you want to." Jade told her. She nodded to him and joined in next to Asch and Luke. The threesome held out their palms downwards. A golden glow appeared from their hands. It got stronger and stronger with each second, turning from a soft yellow to a bright, golden color.

The hyperressonance went out of control from all of the seventh fonons in the air. It flew from their hands down to the rocks below, knocking over Asch, Luke, and Ivalee. Tear and Natalia rushed to their sides.

"Are you okay?" Anise asked, towering over the group. Jade and Guy still stood though, peering over the edge.

"It's working!" Guy exclaimed. Asch gently pushed Natalia back to look at the bottom of the Sephiroth.

The black rocks, which used to cover underneath the Sephiroth, were deteriorating quickly. Memory particles soared up from the bottom and flew everywhere. The ground shook violently from the massive amount of seven fonons sent flying up.

All of the seventh fonists from the group absorbed the particles, bringing some color back to their faces and strength back to their bodies.

When the ground finally settled, the party gained their balance back. Luke looked to Jade with a confused look.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"We released the massive buildup of seventh fonons from the core." Jade responded while adjusting his glasses.

"Does this mean the Planet Storm is active again?" Anise questioned.

"No, actually." The Colonel started. "The current that carried the fonons back and forth between the core and the Fon Belt is gone."

"But the fonons continue to flow freely anywhere between the two." Guy joined in.

"So both Lorelei and Auldrant get a steady pace of incoming seventh fonons." Tear explained to Anise.

"Making healing artes a lot easier." Natalia added.

"Oh, I get it." Anise said.

"Does this mean we have to go to every Sephiroth and create a hyperressonance?" Asch continued to bombard Jade with questions.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Let's get a move on, then!" Anise perked up.

"You're not going anywhere." A voice from behind them said. The group turned around to see Sync, Arietta, and her two monsters at the entrance.

"Gloomietta," Anise grumbled.

"I am **not** gloomy!" Arietta screamed. Her liger roared and her big, blue bird squawked.

"Arietta, this is not the time for worthless arguments." Sync told her.

"Let us pass." Asch demanded.

"Not until you hand over Ivalee and Tear." Sync retorted.

"No." Luke answered.

"Then we'll take them by force." Sync jumped into battle and started attacking Asch. He swiped his arm before Asch could pull out his sword, leaving a red dragonhead mark. Ivalee groaned.

"Not another Curse Slot." She sighed. Everyone pulled out their weapons and started to attack.

Arietta's liger clawed at Tokunaga, almost shredding the fabric. Sync commanded Asch to fight Luke, thanks to the Curse Slot. Guy and Sync battled it out, fists against sword.

Jade casted artes to Arietta, throwing her to the ground. Tear sent knives flying in her direction, but they missed. Natalia shot arrows at the pinked haired girl, but Arietta casted barrier right before.

Ivalee stabbed the blue bird's mouth with her sword. It screeched loudly and bit at its attacker. Ivalee thrashed at the monster, but it didn't seem to want to die.

Anise dived on top of the liger and punched its face. Arietta wasn't so happy about her two monsters getting beat up, so she casted her Mystic arte on the two fifteen year old girls.

"Now I'll show you how strong I am! This is it! Evil Light!" It came crashing down on the two teenagers, knocking them unconsious. Tear and Natalia ran to their sides and started to heal them. Asch and Luke were dead even, using the same strike artes at the same time.

Out of nowhere, Asch dropped to the ground. He was unconsious, even though he still had a grip on the hilt of his sword. Luke looked over to Tear, who was standing and smiling at him. He flashed a smile back before attacking Sync.

Luke and Guy had Sync almost tired out. His attacks were slower, weaker, and easier to dodge. But he could still jump and avoid their attacks just as easily as before. Well, except for Guy's Mystic arte.

"Oh noble conflagration! Incinerate all! Razing Phoenix!" The blast was a direct hit and sent him to the wall. Arietta stumbled over to him and bent down.

"Are you alright?" She inquired worriedly. Sync pushed her back and tried to stand up. He got halfway to his feet before sliding back down to the ground. Groaning, he tried again, and succeeded with the help of Arietta.

"Ugh..." he grasped his stomach. Arietta gasped.

"We need to get you to a doctor!" She whistled for her bird to come pick up Sync while she jumped on the liger's back. They rushed up the spine and out of sight.

Jade glanced between the three unconsious people on the ground.

"Looks like we're headed to Choral Castle."

--

Choral Castle was turned back into a vacation home for the Fabre's a year and a half ago. Luke and Asch's father didn't go there often, but their mother went there with them a lot. They had cleared out the monsters and fixed it up again, just like old times.

--

By then everyone was conscious and in their rooms. Each person got their own room, complete with a bed, dresser, lamp, and even a table. The bathrooms were located at either side of the hallway they were staying in. The building expanded farther than that, but the party only needed to use some rooms for the night.

--

Ivalee sat on the side of her bed, thinking. Her head whipped around at the sound of the door opening.

"S-sync?" She stuttered as the green-haired boy stood in the doorway. Sync walked in and shut the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you." He replied, making Ivalee's heart jump.

"R-really?"

"Why else would I be here?"

"I don't know, it's just that last time you came to find me was to take me with you." Sync frowned at her answer. He came forward, closing in on her.

"Not this time." His head came nearer to hers. Ivalee's heart pounded, her cheeks blushing.

"T-that's a little too close for comfort." She pushed him back a bit, but Sync just came forward again. Ivalee leaned back so that her back was on the bed.

"Do you not like it?" Sync's voice was smooth, soft, and caring; so unlike his usual tone. Ivalee opened her mouth, and then shut it for lack of words. "I thought so." Sync hand swiftly moved from his side to her cheek, stroking it.

Ivalee sat up again, but scooted back to the middle of the bed. Sync followed her onto the bed, sitting next to her. His arm wound around her waist, as if they were lovers. (They kinda are...) Her blushed turned from pink to red. She pulled her legs up to her chest and laid her head on them.

Sync brushed the loose strands of hair behind her ear. He lowered his head to her height.

"What are you doing?" Ivalee glanced at him with a worried look. _He'd never acted this way in the past, so why now? _His face came inches from hers.

"What'd you find out at the Radiation Gate?" Sync asked, ignoring her question. _So that's why..._

"I don't think I should tel-" He cut her off by pressing his lips against hers. She closed her eyes, taking in the moment. Her arms let go of her legs and let them slide to a more relaxed position. Right then, the mental wall Ivalee had tried so hard to build against him had been torn down.

"So what was that again?" Sync asked when they parted. Ivalee slowly opened her eyes and gazed at him.

"The bottom of the Sephiroth was covered by rocks." Ivalee whispered softly. She brought herself closer to him. "Lorelei was losing seven fonons because they all got trapped in the core." Sync touched her cheek, then noticed it had a bit more color to it.

"You're the best," Sync's sweet voice had yet to leave. He touched her cheek caringly and bent in forward again. Ivalee joined in suit, their faces just centimeters apart now. They both closed their eyes, just waiting for the moment.

The door swung open. Ivalee snapped out of her trance and jumped back a bit. Sync sat upright and looked to the person standing in the door. Asch was there, wide-eyed at the sight he just saw.

Sync immediately stood up and held his hands on either side of his head, as if in defeat. Asch glared at him as he moved away and out the door. Once Sync was out of the room, Asch looked back at Ivalee.

"What did he want?" Asch asked her. Ivalee lowered her gazed to the floor. "Did you tell him?" Asch growled. The last thing they needed was someone on the other side to know.

Ivalee burst into tears spontaneously, catching Asch off guard.

"I'm sorry!" She cried through tears. "He went all romantic on me! I just felt hypnotized and couldn't say no to him!" Ivalee brought her knees up to her chin again and continued to bawl.

Asch never thought that he'd be the one to break the news to her. Hell, he though she'd figure it out by now. But, Ivalee hadn't. So it was his job to tell her.

He sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. Ivalee stopped crying for a second to hear what he had to say.

"Face it, you're in love."


	16. A Treaty With the Tempest

**Author's Note: I'd like to start off by thanking all of the reviewers for giving such encouraging reviews. And a special thanks to xXAsalemXx for helping me with my writer's block and giving me some inspiring ideas. Next, I'd like to thank anyone who hasn't reviewed and is reading this because even though I don't know what you are thinking about this story, I know you wouldn't be here on this page right now is you didn't have **_**some**_** interest. Now, onto the story!**

Asch left the room, leaving Ivalee dumbstruck and confused. _What? Me? In love? With __**Sync? **__T-that's...That's impossible! _She paced around the room, thinking about how Asch could have come to that conclusion.

--

_Argh! That replica is so annoying!_ Asch thought bitterly to himself while scowling. He could hear Ivalee walking in circles and talking to herself, even if there was a stone wall between their rooms. This had been going on for two hours. _Two hours, damn it! _He slammed the pillow on top of his head, trying to block out the noise so he could sleep. _Maybe I should've let her figure it out on her own and saved myself a good nights rest._

Asch tossed the pillow at the wall and stood up. Lying down and trying to block Ivalee out was getting nowhere. He opened the door and trudged down the hallway to Tear's room.

"Tear?" Asch knocked. She opened the door a minute later, fully dressed.

"Yes?"

"Could you do something for me?"

"What?" Asch led her to Ivalee's room. Tear listened to Ivalee's muffled words and the click of her heels against the floor.

"Put her to sleep. Now." Asch commanded. Tear nodded and began to sing quietly.

--

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?!" Ivalee collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She rubbed her temples. "There's no possible way that I could be," Ivalee became sleepy all of a sudden. Her eyelids drooped down. "in love with Sync..." she muttered the last words before finally letting sleep overcome her.

--

Sync trotted to the end of the forest where Arietta stood.

"Did you get the information?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes, now let's go." Sync stated. His tone was demanding and stern. He started towards their boat at the edge of the sea. Arietta had to run to catch up.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He replied, his voice seeming to say the exact opposite. A few seconds of silence passed by.

"Sync, are you _blushing?_" Arietta stared at his face, just making him blush even more.

"No Arietta, I'm not blushing."

"But your face is all red-"

"I'm angry! That's all!" Sync fumed. He stormed off into the distance.

"That's pretty obvious," Arietta muttered before running to catch up with him.

--

Ivalee woke up, not knowing how she'd fell asleep. She quickly brushed out her tangled hair and hurried out the door. Everyone else was awake and eating their breakfast.

"Anyone care to explain what the hell happened last night?" Ivalee asked, glanced around the table.

"Here's your food," Anise said while handing her a plate. Ivalee thanked her then turned back to the rest of the group.

"Ok, so what happened?" she repeated. This time, someone responded.

"Tear knocked you unconsious with one of her hymns." Asch said blankly. Ivalee turned to Tear.

"Why would you put me to sleep?"

"A-asch told me to." Tear replied nicely. Ivalee turned back to Asch.

"You kept me awake for two damn hours, what else was I supposed to do?" Asch didn't look up from his food.

"Oh, sorry." Ivalee apologized. She didn't realize that she was keeping someone else from sleeping. After breakfast, they all headed to the Albiore 2, where Noelle was tinkering with the gears.

"What are you doing?" Guy inquired from pure curiosity. Noelle stopped what she was doing to look at the party.

"The storm damaged the flightstone, so we won't be flying until we get it fixed in Sheridan." She explained.

"Well, we won't get very far without flying, so maybe it would be best to head to Sheridan before going to another Sephiroth." Natalia suggested. "Besides, we could head to the Megiorra Highlands, too."

"That sounds good." Anise said. Noelle put away the tools she was working with and boarded the Albiore, with the rest following in suit.

--

Once arriving in Sheridan, Aston greeted them warmly.

"Ah! What brings you here?"

"Our flightstone on the Albiore 2 broke," Guy explained. "Do you think you could fix it for us?" He handed the broken piece of glass over to the mechanic. Aston looked at it carefully, and then raised his eyes to them.

"This is pretty damaged, so I'd probably get it done by tomorrow morning." He explained.

"Then in the meantime, maybe we could go to the Megiorra Highlands." Ivalee proposed.

"But, the winds are quite wild after noon," Jade clarified. "So it would be better if we headed out tomorrow when the flightstone is fixed. Then Noelle could just landed next to the door to the Sephiroth and it would save some time and energy."

"Plus, the monsters are twice as bad, too." Aston added.

"I'll go reserve some rooms at the inn, then," Tear told everyone.

"I'll go with you." Luke followed her out the door. Mieu bounded after his 'Master', even though the cycle of the seasons was over.

"I can go replenish the supplies!" Anise chanted cheerfully.

"Let's go look at the shops." Natalia turned to Asch. He opened his mouth to retort, but Natalia dragged him in the direction of the clothes stores.

"I'm just going to go now." Ivalee turned around and exited the building. Guy turned to look at Aston.

"Do you think I could help fix the flightstone?" Guy offered. Aston nodded to him and said something about not touching any of the tools.

Jade left without a word to anyone. He seemed to be heading to the bar, but he could have been heading to where Anise was.

--

Ivalee looked out to the unending sea and watched as the birds flew down and caught their mid-afternoon snack. She breathed a sigh. Oh, how she wished that she could fly.

A bird swooped down and landed on the railing next to her. It squawked at her loudly. Ivalee walked over to it and noticed a piece of paper tied to the leg. Making sure that the bird wouldn't fly away, she untied the string and opened the folded up paper.

_Turn around_ was all it said. She slowly turned, coming face to face with an oh-so familiar green-haired boy.

"What do you want, Sync?" Ivalee asked.

"I'm here to make a deal with you," He explained. "I'll take the curse slot off of Asch, on one condition."

"What condition?"

"If you come with me to Grand Chokmah." Sync pointed out to the sea. "I'm heading there for a meeting tomorrow. And if we were to leave right now, then we'd make it there by nine o'clock tonight and we could..." he trailed off.

--

Jade watched as Sync and Ivalee talked. Sync had said something about leaving right then, but Jade couldn't hear exactly what they were saying. He saw Sync take a step closer and took her hands into his. Jade hadn't meant to spy, he just happened to see them talking.

"What are you looking at?" Anise stood next to him and glanced in the direction of Sync and Ivalee. "Oh."

"Yes, seems that Sync is trying to take Ivalee with him somewhere." Jade told the teenager.

--

"I-I..." Ivalee stammered. "I want to go, but..." She looked down to her hands.

"But what? This way, you can be with me and Asch won't have to fight against you." Sync encouraged. Ivalee raised her sight back up to Sync's face.

"Alright, but you have to take the Curse Slot off before we leave."

"And how do you suppose I get to Asch?" Sync questioned.

"Uh, I'll think of something." She replied, starting towards the shops with Sync right behind her.

--

"Asch, how does this look?"

"It's fine, Natalia." Asch said through clenched teeth. This was the seventeenth outfit she tried on. How many damn clothes did one girl need?

"Oh, then maybe I should try that one." Natalia walked over to another rack and pulled out yet another shirt. Asch mentally slapped himself.

"Hey Asch!" Someone called from the door. He turned to see Ivalee waving for him to come over there.

"I'll be right back, Natalia." Asch yelled. He'd have to remember to thank Ivalee later.

"Could you take a look at something for me?" She asked him.

"As long as it isn't clothes," he replied. Ivalee led him out of the store and down the street.

--

"What is she up to?" Anise asked Jade while watching Ivalee lead Asch into the inn.

"I'm not sure, but it definitely has something to do with Sync." The Necromancer lied. He already knew what she was doing; he just decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Don't you think we should interrupt?"

"Why? That would ruin all the fun." Anise shot him a confused look.

"What _fun?_"

"Oh, you'll see."

--

_Where is she taking me?_ Asch wondered. They entered the inn and walked up the steps to a room on the right, where she opened the door. Ivalee motioned for him to follow her into the room. He did as told, not knowing what was going on.

Once he was in the room, Ivalee shut the door and flicked the lights off.

"What the-?!" he exclaimed. A hard shove sent him to the floor. It couldn't possibly be Ivalee's; it was way too strong to be hers.

"I'm sorry, Asch!" Asch heard Ivalee apologize from his left. Two gloved hands pulled his arms behind his back and held it there.

"Who the hell are you?!" Asch kicked his feet up at whoever was behind him.

--

Sync narrowly dodged Asch's foot coming his way. He had to remember to convince Ivalee to knock him out next time they did something like this.

"Don't hurt him!" Ivalee grabbed onto one of Sync's arms. _Damn it, Ivalee! Now you made me sound like some murderer or something!_ Asch's kicks came faster and harder, but Sync managed to avoid being hit. _Just focus on the Curse Slot,_ he told himself. Sync closed his eyes started to remove the Curse Slot.

--

Asch suddenly felt as though a burden was lifted from his shoulders. He felt so much better than he had, almost as good as when he proposed to Natalia, the _second _time.

The two hands that held his wrists behind his back let go. Asch heard footsteps running to the opposite side of the room, then a whistle. He heard a bird that swooped down and apparently took whoever was just in there, since there weren't any more noises except the sound of his own breathing.

He stood up and brushed himself off, then flipped the lights back on. There was no sign of anyone, just as he figured. Even Ivalee wasn't there.

--

Ivalee peered over the large bird's back and shuddered. She had never rode on a bird like this, especially over the sea. Sync enveloped her in a tight embrace, causing her to relax a little.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yea, I just never thought I'd be riding on Arietta's large blue bird over the ocean." Sync let out a chuckle to her response.

"That does sound a bit odd."

"Well, there are many things in life that sound odd," Ivalee explained. "Like me coming back from the abyss of death."

"I'm glad you did." Sync commented. Ivalee flushed. She enjoyed spending time with Sync, even if he_ was_ on the other team.


	17. You, Me, and a Night by the Sea

**Author's Note: Gah! It's been too long since I updated! Sorry 'bout that. I put in a glimpse of Ivalee and Sync's past in here, so maybe that'll entertain you some. XD Review Please! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss or the poem that I used for the chapter name. But I do own Ivalee, so please don't steal her.**

**WARNING: Major fluff in this chapter! (Heehee...)**

Tear sat on the beach, watching the retreating sun off in the distance.

"You're not supposed to stare at the sun, ya know?" A familiar redhead joked. She tilted her head to the side to see Luke sitting down next to her. He flashed her a smile that cheered her spirits up, even if just a little bit. She downcast her gaze to the sand next to her leg. An awkward silence filled the air between the two.

"Umm, Tear?" She tilted her head his way and caught a glimpse of something behind his back.

"Yes?"

"W-well, today is the anniversary of when we met," Luke began. "and I got you this." He practically shoved a small box in her hands. It was a dark blue color with a silver ribbon on it.

She carefully lifted the lid up and gasped when she saw what was in it. Her mother's necklace from almost three years ago sat neatly in the container, perfectly shined and sparkling.

"L-luke..." Tear couldn't say anything more. She was just too speechless. After all of this time, Luke had kept his promise.

"I-i knew it was important to you since it belonged to your mother..." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Tear turned to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Luke stared at her, bewildered. She just smiled back at him. He tried to hide the blush that inevitably crept onto his face.

"Thank you."

They two sat in silence for what seemed like eternity as the sun slowly continued to shrink behind the horizon.

"We should probably be getting back." Tear stated after a while. She stood up and started to walk back, but Luke caught her hand. He stood up alongside her and took her hands into his.

"Not yet," he whispered. Luke leaned and let their lips touch. Tear was surprised at his gesture, but she didn't pull back. She wished they could stay like this forever, and the night would never end. That they wouldn't have to deal with anything else for once; that they could just be together without worries. Just like that moment.

--

It was long since the sunset ended, leaving behind a trail of stars on the sky. The moon shone on top of the two teenagers as they jumped down from the bird's back. It leap into the air and glided across the beautiful city until disappearing somewhere beyond the exit.

Sync led Ivalee to one of the bridges, where they leaned against the stone railing and listened to the multiple waterfalls scattered around the area. She gazed out into the waterfall right under them and saw the moon's reflection.

"It's beautiful." She breathed. The sight took her breath away.

"Just like you." Sync responded. Ivalee turned to see him looking at her. She reddened and turned back to the sea. He walked up to her from behind and enveloped her in an embrace.

One thing kept bugging her. What had changed between them in the past couple of years? Their relationship wasn't like this when they first met...

_Ivalee stared at Sync as he sat down at the lunch table across the room. He began eating his lunch while Arietta chatted about something that none of the God-Generals seemed to care about. She couldn't help but stare._

"_Ivalee?" Van nudged her. Her head whipped around to face him. The Commandant was sitting right next to her, like usual._

"_Yes, Master Van?" She piped up. _

"_You should hurry up and finish your lunch, we're training later today." _

"_I'm already done." _

"_Then you can head to the training room and start practicing. I'll be there shortly." He watched as the little redhead girl walked away with her half-full lunch tray. She dumped it in the trashcan and started to leave, but glanced at Sync momentarily before leaving the room. _

_This had gone on since she started eating the cafeteria. Ivalee would always stare at Sync and move her food around her plate, yet not eating any of it. Then he would say something to her and she would snap out of her trance. And in the middle of the night, Van would find her snacking on whatever she found in the kitchen. _

_It was obvious that Ivalee had a crush on Sync. Just the way she glanced his way whenever she got the chance gave it away._

_Van stood up and walked over to the God-Generals' table. All six of them turned to face him the second he came within a three-feet radius._

"_Sync, I need to talk to you." He said. The little green-haired boy nodded and followed him to the corner of the room._

"_What?" he asked, a bit angry from being taken away from his meal, yet a bit happy to be away from Arietta and her annoying stories._

"_I want you to do something for me," Van started. "There's a girl who's got a crush on you, so I want you to meet up with her."_

"_Is it that one tiny girl who follows you around? The one that has hair like Asch's?" The Commandant nodded._

"_I want you to pretend to like her, even if you don't. It's important that she stays on our side."_

"_Whatever." Sync replied._

"_Good. So be in your room in a half an hour." Sync walked off to finish his lunch. Van left the cafeteria to go to the training room._

_--_

_He found Ivalee practicing her fonic artes of the targets. She held her sword downward while casting._

"_Bring all to ash and ruin! Explosion!" The red and white target at the other end was blasted to bits._

"_Well done." Van praised. Ivalee turned around and smiled brightly at him. "But don't use too many, you know that it wears you down too much." _

"_Alright," She answered. _

"_Oh, and training today is canceled."_

"_Why?"_

"_You're going to meet someone instead." Ivalee nodded and sheathed her sword. _

"_What time?" She questioned._

"_In about a half an hour." Van told her. Ivalee rushed off to go change into something more suitable to wear then training clothes._

_--_

_Van opened the door to Sync's room and gestured for Ivalee to go in. She did as told and saw Sync sitting in the chair with his feet on the table._

"_Ivalee, this is Sync. Sync, this is Ivalee." Van stated. Ivalee was almost jumping up and down, if Van wasn't holding onto her shoulder._

"_Hi!" Ivalee exclaimed. Sync just nodded._

"_I'll be back later." Van shut the door behind him, leaving the two alone together._

"_Sooooo..." She said, looking around the room. Her eyes rested on his mask on his face. "Do you ever take that bird mask off?" Sync grimaced. _

"_No, and it's not a bird mask, it's a fonic mask."_

"_Oh." Ivalee walked over to him. "Why __**don't**__ you take it off?"_

"_Because." He replied. Sync really didn't want to explain everything to her._

"_Because why?" She inquired. _

"_It's none of your business!" He shouted. Ivalee was startled by his outburst. She gained back her composure and stepped up closer. _

"_Can I see what your face looks like?" There she blew it. Ivalee had just crossed the line from his regular attitude to his angry one. _

"_No, you can't!" Sync yelled. "But you know what you can do?! You can get the hell out of my room and go train! You'd at least get somewhat stronger!"_

"_I've been training with Master Van for the past few we-" Ivalee was cut off by his yelling._

"_Tch. I've seen you train! And you're weak!" Ivalee gaped at him. _

"_I'm not weak!"_

"_Yes you are! You could never beat me in a fight!"_

"_I could too!"_

"_Fine, then let's test it! Next week, in the courtyard right after lunch."_

"_Fine!" She stormed out of the room._

_--_

_For the next week, Ivalee trained twice as hard as usual. Whenever she fell down, she'd just get right back up and continue on. Ivalee no longer stared at Sync during lunch. In fact, she avoided him completely. And instead of Van finding Ivalee snacking late at night, he'd find her training. _

_--_

_The day finally came. Ivalee walked into the courtyard, immediately spotting Sync leaning against one of the trees of the outer edge._

"_Ready?" He lifted his chin up. The gold mask still covered his face._

"_I've been ready for weeks." She retorted, unsheathing her sword. Sync got into position for battle._

"_Go!" He shouted. Ivalee ran forward and swung her sword in and upward arc. Sync jumped to the side and tried to punch her, but Ivalee ducked and rolled on the ground. He glanced down at her with a confused expression. _What the hell is she doing?!

_Ivalee kicked his ankles, sending him down to the ground. She pounced on Sync and pinned him to the grassy field._

"_There." Ivalee stated. Sync was speechless. She had somehow gotten him down in less then two minutes. Her face was emotionless, and he hadn't learned to figure out what she was feeling by looking at her yet._

_Ivalee stood, sheathed her sword, and walked away, without a word. Sync sat up and glared at her retreating back. Next time, he'd get her..._

"Ivalee?" Sync caught her attention. She looked up to him.

"Hmm?"

"You were just thinking about when we met, weren't you?" he asked.

"No." She lied.

"You really shouldn't lie to someone who knows your weaknesses." Sync smirked as Ivalee raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so you think you know my weaknesses?"

"Of course I do. Like, I know that your left shoulder is the weakest part of your body." Ivalee glanced up at him with an amazed look. _How the hell did he know that?! _He squeezed her left shoulder a little.

"You hate it when people touch your legs." His hand moved down to her thigh, making her jump. "And when we k-"

"Alright! Alright! I was thinking of when we met. Happy?"

"Very." He joked. She rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to let go of me anytime soon?" Ivalee asked. Sync looked down and noticed he'd been hugging her for the past few minutes.

"No."

"Fine then." Ivalee twisted her body to the side and slipped under his arms. She bolted down the street, but Sync easily caught up with her and grabbed her arm. He yanked her backwards into his chest.

"It'd be a lot easier if you didn't try to escape." He turned her around to come face to face.

"But at least I keep you active and on your toes." Ivalee grinned at him. Sync set her down, but his hands slid around her back. She froze up, the tension in the air growing high. Slowly, he brought her closer and closer to him, until her face was only an inch away.

"Yes, you do." He whispered. Her eyes widened as he brought her even closer. _Damn it, don't fall for him._ She told herself. _You can't...fall...for...him..._ He let the tiny space between them disappear completely. Ivalee let her eyes close and her body relaxed under his kiss. The tension was gone, with it, their friendship. They moved onto a whole different scale.

_Ok, so maybe I am in love, a little._


	18. A Heavy Price to Pay

**Author's Note: Yes!! I finally got to this part! I've been planning this chapter for weeks on end and now it's here! Hope you like it! Oh, and thanks to xXAsalemXx for help with some ideas.**

Light poured in the small inn room from the window, shining upon anything and everything.

Ivalee stirred in bed and rubbed her eyes open. _I'm so tired..._ She thought to herself. Something was around her waist, but she didn't take note of it. That is, until Ivalee looked down and noticed it was an arm. Her head slowly turned to see Sync lying right next to her, with his arm around her waist.

"Aah!" she yelped. Sync's eyes popped open and he caught sight of her.

"What?"

"Why are you in my bed?!"

"Well, technically this is my bed. Your bed is the one over there." Sync pointed across the room to the empty bed.

"Oh," Ivalee said. "Here let me rephrase that question._ Why are we in the same bed?!_" Sync shrugged.

"It was dark, we were tired." She frowned and rubbed her temples. Sometimes, he could be so aggravating.

"Whatever. But why did you wrap your arm around my waist?" Ivalee inquired.

"To protect you." He replied.

"Sync, I really don't think I can be harmed in a locked inn room with only us two in it." She told him. "Unless you..."

"Trust me, I'd never even dream of it." Sync tightened his grip and stroked her hair. She gave him a small smile before snuggling into his chest. He let his eyes close and listened to the sound of their breathing. A knock was heard on the door.

"There is someone here to see you, Commandant." A lady's voice addressed him from behind the door.

"Tell whoever it is to go away." Sync answered. He could feel Ivalee smiling against his torso.

"But sir, he insists that you see him immediately." She protested.

"Tell him I'm busy." Sync heard someone shuffling around, then another knock on the door.

"Sync, open up. It's Largo." His deep voice sounded. Sync realized exactly why he was here.

"Damn it..." he cursed under his breath. Ivalee pulled back and looked up at him with worried eyes.

"What?" She asked.

"I forgot about the meeting..."

"When does it start?"

"Nine o'clock."

"It's ten, you know that?" Ivalee pointed out. Sync slapped himself in the head. He jumped out of bed and opened the door. Largo and the innkeeper were standing at the doorway. The lady turned and left them alone.

"I know, I know. I missed the meeting." Sync waved his hand back and forth. "Let's meet in a few minutes, ok?" Largo looked around the room, spotting the half asleep Ivalee sitting on a tangled mess of sheets, staring at them. The bed on the other side of the room was made and unused.

Before Largo even finished saying 'Alright', Sync slammed the door shut. The previous God-General turned and left to go tell Legretta what just happened.

--

"Get ready, we're leaving in a minute." Sync stated.

"Can't I just stay here and sleep a bit?" Ivalee laid back down on the bed and curled up into a ball.

"You really think I'm going to leave you _alone _in an empty inn room?" Sync slipped off his old black and white shirt, then put on another one, which was exactly like the first.

"If I answer yes, will you let me?"

"No." Sync grabbed a brush and walked over to her. "Here." Ivalee sat up and caught the brush he tossed, and then started to brush out her long, knotted hair. He dug through his item bag and his hand hit something small and square. Picking it up, Sync remembered exactly what it was. _Damn it, I was supposed to give her this yesterday night..._

"Hey, Ivalee." Sync turned around to face her, still holding the box. Ivalee's eyes directed to him before focusing on the little package in his hands.

"Yes?"

"Here." Sync sat down on the edge of the bed and opened the container. Inside was a golden ring with small orange, red and yellow jewels encircling it. He picked it out of the box and took her right hand in his. "This is to show that you're mine, and no one else's." Sync slipped the little golden circle on her ring finger.

"You got this, for me?" Ivalee fingered it, feeling all of the designs on it.

"I had it custom made, just for you."

--

"They were _sleeping together_?!" Legretta hissed.

"Yes, one bed was unused while the other was much too messed up." Largo told her. She paced back and forth in the small meeting room.

"This is getting out of control. We need to do something." Arietta said as she stood up from the chair she was sitting in.

"I know what we need to do." Legretta twirled around to face both of the other two ex-God-Generals. "Once Sync gets here we'll..."

--

Only minutes later, Sync opened the door to the small meeting room. All three of his teammates sat in their respective chairs at the end of the table.

"Are you ready to discuss our plans now?" Legretta asked impatiently.

"Yea." Sync responded. He opened the door all the way, revealing Ivalee next to him. Their fingers were intertwined; with the ring he gave her sparkling against their pale skin tones.

Arietta clenched the armrests on her chair. There they were, _together._ Oh, how she hated her so much... Anise had already killed Ion, and now Ivalee had taken Sync away from her. But Legretta's plan would work, and she'd get Sync back.

--

"Ugh!" Both of the two redheads complained in unison. Creating a hyperressonance wasn't as easy as it looked.

"Are you sure this isn't too much strain on you two?" Tear asked worriedly.

"Yea, 'cause we could always get something else to get rid of the rocks." Anise added.

"No, really, I'm ok." Luke said. Asch just scoffed. _Yea, he's ok, but try having to die, and then be reborn a few months later. Then try and say he's __**just fine.**_

"Asch, are you alright?" Natalia questioned. He nodded to her, just to end her worries. If Ivalee were here, then the strain on them wouldn't be as bad. _Where the hell is she anyway?_ He told himself that he'd have to contact her later.

--

In the first few minutes of the meeting, Ivalee had fallen asleep almost immediately. Apparently, staying up until three in the morning wasn't exactly a good idea.

"Right now, they're at..." Legretta continued on, but Sync had already zoned out. He stared at Ivalee in the chair next to him. Oh, how he wished he could curl up beside her and stroke her cheek...

"Sync!" Arietta's voice pierced through his daze. He whipped his head around to look at them.

"Huh?"

"Answer the question," Legretta demanded. _Damn it, what was the question?_

"Uh, no?" he answered, hoping they wouldn't notice he didn't know what the question was.

"Sync, it wasn't a yes or no question." Legretta said.

"Then what was the question?" He asked. Legretta sighed.

"I said, where are we going to place the troops to stop them at the next Sephiroth?" She repeated.

"They're headed for Daath," Sync told them. His gaze wandered back to Ivalee. Her hair covered half of her face, with a peaceful smile sitting upon her lips, making him want to close the gap between his and hers...

"Sync!" Arietta interrupted again. He turned back to face them.

"Uh, Baticul?" He randomly guessed. Maybe it would be his lucky day.

"We weren't asking where they were going." Largo pointed out. "We were asking if you could set up some dynamites in Mt Zaleho."

"Whatever." Sync waved his hand back and forth, then twisted his head the other way. Ivalee still hadn't woken up yet, even with Arietta's shouting, Legretta's demanding voice, and all of the rest of the talking.

Her hands were holding her legs up to her chest. The ring caught his attention, even though he had already spent a great deal of time admiring it before giving it to her. The colors around the band represented her; she was like a fire, extinguished by Van, but set free by her friends and her own imagination.

"If you haven't noticed already, we ended the meeting." Legretta said. She and Largo were both was standing up, but Arietta was nowhere in sight.

"Oh." He stood up and walked over to Ivalee. Sync was just about to pick her up and carry her back to their room, but Legretta told him to wake her up so that they could talk to her.

Sync softly shook her shoulders back and forth. Her eyes fluttered open, and her peaceful smile curved into a bigger one at the sight of him.

"C'mon, Legretta wants to talk to you." Sync helped her up out of the chair and led her across the room to the two people waiting for them.

"What do you need?" Ivalee asked while yawning. Legretta opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Sync," Arietta's head popped out from the door. "You're needed downstairs." Sync turned to Ivalee for a moment.

"Stay here, I'll be back in a minute." He told her. She nodded, letting his hand slip from hers. Once the door shut, she looked back at Legretta.

"So Ivalee," The blonde woman began. She pulled her guns out and aimed them at Ivalee. "Do you have any last words?"

"W-what?" Ivalee stuttered. She wasn't expecting to be greeted by two guns.

"You heard me." Legretta said. Ivalee glanced from the door to Legretta's guns. _If I run, then Legretta would surely follow. But if I run to Sync, then she wouldn't dare shot me in front of him._ She jumped back and dived behind a chair. Legretta shot, but it hit the seat. Ivalee ran to the door and swung it open as fast as possible.

--

Sync followed Arietta down the hallway. He didn't have a clue why someone would need him, especially since he was never actually publicly announced as the commandant. _Wait! That's right! I left after Ivalee did..._ Sync felt a little guilty leaving her there, in the presence of both Legretta and Largo...alone... He stopped walking. _What if..._

A dash of red raced by the end of the hallway. He whipped around and looked for her. _Ivalee?_ His mind immediately thought of the worst that could have happened. Sync ran to where she had just past.

"Sync!" Arietta reached out to grabbed him, but he slipped out of her grasp and continued running. A scream came from the left corridor, exactly where Ivalee had went. _No!_ He thought, sprinting.

--

Ivalee pressed her back against the wall, wishing for more protection. Legretta was only a few feet away, making her escape impossible. And there no possible way that Legretta would miss the shot.

"This is for the better." The blonde woman stated before pulling the trigger. But Sync burst through the door at the last second and kicked the guns upward, sending the bullets off-target. He breathed heavily from running to get there, and glanced back and forth between Ivalee and Legretta.

"What's going on here?" The Commandant demanded.

"Largo!" Legretta shouted. The large man swung his scythe at Sync, pinning him to the nearest wall.

"What are you-" he stopped when Legretta pointed her guns again. And it all became clear. "Legretta, Largo, stand down!" Sync tried to squirm out of the grip, but he couldn't do it. "I never gave any orders to do this!"

"Sync, this is for your own good." Legretta said. The red-haired girl looked to him with pleading eyes, as if to say, 'Sync...Help...' The trigger was pulled again, but this time, it hit her left shoulder.

"NO!" Sync screamed.

Ivalee grasped it in pain. Her hand was covered in red liquid when she pulled it back. He felt disgusted by the blood, and in himself for leaving her alone.

Largo's scythe was pulled away from him. Sync looked up at the man, for a second before rushing to Ivalee's side.

"Sync," she choked out. Her hand reached out to him and held onto his. He looked at her eyes, praying that this wasn't going to be the last time he'd see her. "I-" Her knees buckled, sending her down to the ground. Sync caught her and pulled her close. Burying his head in her hair, he could feel her body go limp in his arms.

"Ivalee, no...Please no..."

But she couldn't hear him, not anymore.


	19. A Fast Recovery

**Author's Note: This was actually one of my favorite chapters to write, just because of the part near the end. Heheh... Read on!**

Sync couldn't believe it. There she was, unmoving, bleeding to death right in front of his eyes. There was no possible way he'd let this happen. Not if he had a say in it.

He leaned Ivalee's body against the wall and checked her wrist. Maybe there was a chance that she was living, somewhere in there. He couldn't find any pulse. His hands started trembling and his vision started to blur. No, he wouldn't cry. He _couldn't_ cry. Not now, not when Ivalee needed him the most. Sync moved his hand up to her neck and found a pulse. It wasn't very strong, but still there.

"Ivalee, hang on." He whispered as he stroked her cheek softly. It was getting colder by the second, meaning there wasn't much time. Sync picked her up and started for the door.

"If this is how it's going to be," He said, not even turning to face the other two people in the room. "then I quit!"

"You can't quit." Largo told him.

"Watch me." Sync shot both of them a glare before heading for the door again.

"Sync," Legretta raised her guns. "if you quit now, then I'll have to shoot you." He paused and twisted to see her, but his arms protectively covered Ivalee.

"How would you gain from shooting me?" he growled.

"If I shoot you, then you can't save Ivalee, and she'll die." Sync twitched and gripped Ivalee tighter. He grinded his teeth together.

"Fine, I won't quit," As Sync got out of earshot, he muttered, "yet."

--

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Most likely." Sync breathed a sigh of relief. He held onto Ivalee's bloodied hand as the doctor examined some charts on the table. "But she has lost a large amount of blood."

"Will that affect her?" Sync questioned.

"It won't hurt her too badly, but it will take a little bit longer for her to recover." _Damn it, if only he hadn't trusted them alone..._ Sync squeezed her hand and prayed that she would open her eyes.

"Ivalee?" he whispered. There was no response, making him twice as worried. "Please wake up...Please Ivalee, don't leave me..."

--

Ivalee was in a dream-like state, just like when Sync had used that machine; except he wasn't there. It was just her. She didn't know how she got there, or why. The only thing Ivalee could remember was Sync; the one she loved.

She curled up into a ball and hugged her knees. All she wanted at that moment was Sync. For him to pull her into an embrace, whisper loving words into her ear, and kiss her.

Then, he was there. A few feet away stood Sync, staring at her. Ivalee jumped up and ran to him. Hugging him, she buried her head in his chest.

"Y-you came..." she stuttered.

"Of course I did," he said. His voice was music to her ears. "But I came to tell you to wake up."

"I never want to, now that you're here." Sync cupped her chin and let his lips brush hers, for only a second.

"We could do so much more than this when you awake." Ivalee closed her eyes and mused over his words.

"Alright," she stated. "for you, I will." Ivalee watched as Sync faded in her arms, and slowly but surely, so did she.

--

Her eyes blinked open, blinded momentarily by the bright light coming from the window. Ivalee noticed she was lying down on a bed with a doctor right beside her.

"Sync!" She exclaimed. Ivalee tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her left shoulder. In an instant, Sync was next to the doctor.

"It's okay, I'm right here." He said softly. His hand gently pushed her back down in the bed. She then realized that Sync's shirt was half drenched in blood. _Her_ blood. Just the thought of it made her sick to the stomach.

The doctor glanced at Ivalee before facing Sync. "I'm sorry to break you two up so soon, but I have to ask you to leave."

"Why?" Sync asked, his hands curling into fists. He couldn't leave Ivalee alone again, not when she almost lost her life the last time.

"The bullet is still in her shoulder, so I must remove it before it becomes infected." The man replied. It seemed reasonable enough, but he still wouldn't leave Ivalee alone with the doctor.

"I'm not moving from this s-"

"Sync," Ivalee interrupted him, knowing that he would have started yelling if she didn't. "Do as the doctor says."

"But-" he protested, but Ivalee just shook her head.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." She flashed him a reassuring smile before nodding to the doctor. The man ushered Sync out of the room, who glanced back at her before leaving. She closed her eyes and felt a mask placed over her mouth and nose. Breathing in the sleeping gas, Ivalee let the darkness overcome her once more.

--

Right as she gained her consciousness back, stiffness filled her body. Ivalee moaned and before she knew it, a hand slipped into hers. Her vision was filled with green the moment she opened her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Sync's voice asked.

"Yea," she answered weakly. It wasn't a _total_ lie, but if he knew anything was hurting, then that doctor would be wishing he never stepped foot anywhere near Sync or her.

"I got you something else to change into," he said. She smiled up at him. It seemed as though he couldn't take his mind off her for more than a few seconds.

"Thanks." Sync had changed into yet another outfit, exactly alike to his older one; except without the blood.

"I've healed up most of the injury," the doctor said. "but I would suggest limited movements to prevent it from opening again." Then he turned to Sync. "Here's some medicine if she starts to feel pain. And in case she's really hurting badly, a bottle of sleeping gas to hold her off until you can contact a doctor." Sync took the two things from him and placed them in his item bag.

Ivalee sat up straight without too much pain. Her body was sore and felt weak; but Sync helped her stand up and walk. They left from the room and went to their rented inn room instead.

Once there, Sync had her sit down on the bed while he got her new clothes out.

"Sync, you really didn't have to get me clothes." Ivalee said, watching as he dug through his item bag. Sync found it and sat down next to her.

"I really don't think you want to wear something with blood on it." Sync pointed out. He handed her a bundle of clothes and told her to change in the bathroom. Ivalee did as told, not wanting to argue with him.

She came out wearing a navy blue shirt with short sleeves and a yellow-gold trim around the edges and down the center. The tail end of her shirt stretched out down to the back of her knees. Her black shorts ended about mid-thigh and her high heel boots started below the knee.

As Ivalee took a good look at her self, she realized that her shirt resembled much of Sync's shirt. After a few minutes, Ivalee also realized that Sync was staring at her.

"Thanks." She stared down at her feet as the blush crept up onto her cheeks. Ivalee could feel his eyes on her, examining everything. Sync stood up and walked over to her.

He pulled her close to his body in an embrace. Ivalee relaxed, thinking that everything was going to be okay, but her thoughts were cut short by an irritated voice.

_Where are you?_ Asch asked. She grimaced. Why was it that he always burst in at the wrong times?

_Somewhere, now leave._ Ivalee tried to force him away, but Asch stayed put.

_Tell me!_ He demanded.

_Fine! I'm in Grand Chokmah._ She replied angrily.

_What are you doing there? _

_Things._ It was the simplest answer she could think of at the time.

_What 'things'?!_ His voice started to get more frustrated.

_Just stuff! Now leave! _

_Where have you been staying? In the palace? In the inn? _

_No, I've been sleeping with Sync for the past few days. _Ivalee stated in an as-a-matter-of-fact voice. There was a long pause as she took to realization what she had just said.

_You __**WHAT?! **_

_Wait, no! I didn't mean it like that! _She tried to convince him otherwise.

_Ugh! That's disgusting!_

_I never-_

_I think I'm going to be sick!_

_Asch, really! We didn't-_

_I'm leaving._ And with that, the connection died. She mentally slapped herself for saying such a thing, even on accident.

"What's wrong?" Sync asked, staring at her.

"I-it's nothing." Ivalee turned her head to the side.

"No, really, you can tell me."

"I wouldn't want to worry you."

"It's no problem. Anyway, you can tell me while we get something to eat. I bet you're hungry." It almost sounded more like a command rather than a suggestion. Ivalee had no choice but to answer yes, seeing that she hadn't eaten for a while.

--

Ivalee stirred the water in her cup, thinking about how to tell Sync. _Should I say I'm sorry? Or maybe lie to him?_ She just couldn't figure out the right way to give him the news.

"So, what happened earlier that startled you so much?" Sync questioned. His brought his cup of water up to his lips.

"W-well, Asch c-contacted me, and I a-accidentally told him that w-we s-s-slept t-together." She stumbled over her words. Sync slammed the cup down on the table and spit out the water he was drinking, coughing a few times.

"You **WHAT?!**" He gaped at her, gaining strange looks from most of the other people in the small restaurant. No matter how much his dirty mind wished that was true, he'd never do something like that without her consent, especially at a time like this.

Ivalee was silent, looking at her hands. She didn't really know what to say at this point.

"Ivalee," Sync asked quietly across the table so no one would hear them. "Why did you tell him that?"

"I don't know. He was asking a bunch of questions and I didn't want to answer them then. And I guess I really wasn't thinking when I said that." She admitted. Sync mulled over her words before leaning back in his chair and taking another sip of water.

"Mm..."

--

Asch crossed his arms across his chest and scowled. Now he had wished he never contacted Ivalee in the first place.

"Hey, where's Ivalee right now?" Anise asked everyone.

"She's in Grand Chokmah." The scowling redhead replied. His voice was a mixture of both annoyed and angry.

"What is she doing there?" Natalia inquired.

"Sleeping with Sync." Everyone paused. Jade smirked at Asch's words. Oh, he'd have to tease her about his when she got back...


	20. Rivalry and Jealousy

**Author's Note: Eh, it took me a while to write the ending of this chapter. Yet, I'm not sure I like it completely...**

After dinner ended, Sync led Ivalee back to their inn room and told her to go to bed.

"Aww, but Sync, I'm not tired." She whined.

"But you need to sleep." Sync pointed to the bed. "Now, bed."

"Can't I stay up a little longer?"

"Stop sounding like a child and go to bed." Sync commanded.

"Alright, but just to tell you, I'm leaving tomorrow." She stated.

"Leaving where?" He asked.

"I'm going back to Daath and meeting up with the group." Ivalee didn't dare look at him, for she knew he must be mad at her.

"Ivalee," His voice sank dangerously low. "You're staying with me."

"No, I'm not Sync."

"Ivalee..."

"Sync..." She mocked. Sync grabbed her wrists and yanked her closer to him; so close that his hair brushed her forehead. Ivalee could have sworn he could hear her heart beating.

"You are not leaving my sight," He whispered. His fingers released her wrists and trailed downwards. She bit her lip to keep from gasping as his hands curled around her hips.

Ivalee laid her head down on his shoulder, trying to get more used to the feeling. Her eyes started closing.

"Sync," Ivalee said, yawning. "I'm going to leave tomorrow. And you're not going...to...stop...me..." She trailed off, already fast asleep in his arms.

Sync carried her to the bed and settled her down before lying down next to her. Ivalee was laying on her stomach, relaxed and dead asleep right next to him.

"I don't want you to leave, Ivalee." Sync brushed her hair behind her ear. "Not now, not ever..."

--

Ivalee raised her head up and opened her eyes. She didn't know how the hell she'd gotten on Sync, or why she was sleeping on him. His arm was wrapped around her waist preventing her from moving. It felt awkward to be in such a position, even though they were doing nothing wrong.

"Sync?" She tried to wake him up. "Sync?" Ivalee gingerly touched his cheek, then pulled away. It didn't seem like he was going to wake up anytime soon, so Ivalee waited.

After about twenty minutes, one thing she didn't expect to happen…happened. His hand crept up her spine, tickling her back. She giggled quietly before noticing the smirk that was plastered all over his face.

"Sync!" Ivalee gasped while suppressing another giggle. His eyes opened up and stared at her.

"Hmm?"

"When did you wake up?"

"Oh, about five minutes before you did." Another satisfied smirk fell upon his lips as he watched her face grow distorted.

"What?! Then why didn't you answer me when I called your name?!" He shrugged. "Ugh! You're so irritating sometimes…" Her head lowered down to rest on his shoulder.

"So," Sync started, breaking the eerie silence. "When are you planning on leaving today?" He had asked the question as if he was looking forward to it, catching Ivalee off guard.

"What?" She had completely forgotten about last night.

"Remember? You told me that you were going to Daath and meeting up with your friends there." He reminded her.

"Oh, right…"

"I've decided to come with you." Sync's statement caused Ivalee jerk her head up.

"Really?!" She inquired eagerly.

"I thought about it, and since I know you won't give up, I better make the most of the time I have with you." Sync replied. Ivalee smiled brightly, her insides jumping with excitement.

"Okay! Then let's leave as soon as possible so that Legretta, Arietta, and Largo don't catch up with us." Sync could easily tell that she was anxious to leave. Letting her up, Sync followed in suit got ready to take off.

--

"C'mon! The dock's this way!"

"I already know where it is!"

"Then hurry up!" Ivalee yelled back to him as she ran towards their destination. Unfortunately, Sync was much faster and caught up with her just as the port came into view.

"Got ya!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her and spinning around. She laughed at his antics. Ivalee could always find a way to bring out the childish side of him, though he didn't know how.

"We're almost there!" It took a good half-hour to reach the dock from their inn, not to mention that they had to stop for supplies and food. Plus they both clowned around the whole way there.

"Let's take one of Arietta's birds; it'll be faster that way." Sync suggested.

"Sync!" A high pitched voice sounded from behind. They turned around to see Arietta with her two monster friends standing not too far away.

"What?" He asked irritably. Sync was enjoying playing around and spending time with Ivalee, and Arietta just happened to cut in their fun.

"Where are you going?" She questioned innocently. "Legretta said that you'd be joining us for the meeting this afternoon." He frowned, not wanting to explain.

"I'm leaving. You can tell Legretta that I'll meet up with her later."

"But Sync-"

"No, I'm not staying. Now leave." Sync cut her off.

"I'll make you stay, then." Arietta's liger ran over to Sync and began to try and trap him, but Sync could easily dodge most of his attacks. The giant blue bird flew over to Ivalee and started pecking at her repeatedly.

"Stop!" Ivalee shouted, using her sword to block as many blows as she could.

"Arietta, don't be a baby!" Sync hollered while still dodging. "Just let us go!"

"Legretta told me to make sure you were going to come..." Her voice had gone down to a whisper.

"Aah!" Ivalee shrieked as the bird swooped down at her. She cringed from the pain coming from her shoulder due to the all of the sudden movements. Sync immediately rushed to her side and helped her stand up straight again.

"Stick to fonic artes," he told her. She nodded at him before starting to cast an arte. Sync turned back around to the two monsters and held both of them off, though it was quite a challenge.

Ducking to the left underneath the bird's talon, he looked over to Arietta. _Dammit, almost every time I get to be alone with Ivalee, someone just has to ruin it!_

"Make your monsters retreat before anyone gets hurt!" he yelled to her, jumping over the liger's incoming claw.

"But-!"

"O maddening gale of the spirits of the earth! Stalagmite!" Ivalee shouted as her arte finished. The ground jutted up under the liger, sending it a little ways away. Arietta glanced back at her friend before glaring at Ivalee.

"Damn it," Sync muttered under his breath.

"You hurt my friend!" The little pink-haired girl screeched.

"Oops." Ivalee said dryly. Arietta stomped forward, ready to murder her, but Sync slid between the two girls.

"Break it up you two!" He roared at them as they tried to claw each other.

"You damned lying little murderer!" Arietta screamed, ignoring Sync.

"You high-pitched, nosey brat!" Ivalee also ignored Sync.

"Redhead freak!"

"Pink-haired loser!"

"Ungrateful traitor!"

"Snobby pushover!"

"Sync stealer!"

"Jealous bitch!"

"Dirty replica!"

"That is IT!" Ivalee shrieked, trying to strangle Arietta. Sync pulled her backwards away from Arietta, who had stopped moving and instead kept her distance while sticking out her tongue.

"Let go Sync!" She shouted. Sync whipped her around to face him even though she still struggled. He lowered his head to the side of her neck and planted a small kiss there, making her whole body freeze instantly.

"Calm down, Ivalee."


	21. Escape!

**Author's Note: You should thank xXAsalemXx for this faster update. She helped me a lot. So, yea. **

"S-Sync," Ivalee stuttered, surprised and shocked by his sudden kiss. "D-don't do th-that again."

"What, oh you mean this?" He leaned down a second time and touched his lips against her neck. She tensed up, wishing he would stop. Lucky for her, he did.

"Y-yea, that."

"Why?" Sync asked, inwardly smirking, knowing that it made her squirm.

"It feels…weird…" She couldn't find the right words to say. _He should know that I'm sensitive to things touching my neck,_ she thought. _Including his mouth!_

"Sync…" Arietta murmured so quietly that no one else heard her. _Why? Why does he have to like her instead of me? Is it the fact that they're both replicas? Or did she do something to Sync to make him like her? _Oh, what Arietta wouldn't give to be in Ivalee's place right then.

"Let's go." Sync said, glancing back at Arietta. He put his thumb and index finger in his mouth and whistled loudly. Not a minute later, a large brown monster dived down and landed near them.

"Wait!" Arietta shouted. But Sync had already lifted Ivalee onto the giant bird and was getting on himself.

"Just drop it, Arietta." They took off into the sky without another word. Arietta hugged her doll tightly, then ran in the opposite direction.

--

A few hours passed before Daath finally came into sight. The great cathedral stood tall and was the easiest thing to see.

"Hey, look!" Ivalee leaned forward and pointed a little to the east of the city. "It's the Albiore 2!" The Albiore was landing near Daath, though they could barely see it.

"Don't lean so muc-" Sync started to say, reaching out to pull her back. But just as he touched her shoulder she fell off.

"Sync!" Ivalee cried his name as she fell down, getting closer and closer to the deep water. He silently cursed before jumping in after her. Sync dived down and caught her before they hit the ocean.

"Dammit, even in midair you're faster than me." Ivalee muttered as she buried her head in his chest. Sync smirked while hugging her tightly. They crashed into the water head first with a loud splash.

He blinked his eyes open underwater and looked at Ivalee. She had her eyes and mouth squeezed shut, clinging onto him like a lost puppy. Kicking his legs, he wondered why she wasn't doing anything. _Oh, she can't swim! Well, she was hid away in Daath for most of her life, so it would be reasonable that she __didn't know how. Maybe after all this is over, I could teach her. _They burst above sea level, gasping for air.

"S-s-s-s-sync," Ivalee stammered, shivering from the icy-cold water. "I-I-I'm fr-freezing."

"I know," he responded. The bird swooped down, picking both of them up by its claw. Luckily, the Padamiyan continent was only a few minutes away, so they didn't have to withstand the cold air for very long. The monster dropped them off at the nearest part of land; right before the forest started which led to Daath.

"Let's change into something dry." Sync rummaged through the item bag and tossed her some dry clothes. She opened her mouth to suggest that they wait until they reach Daath, but stopped when he took off his shirt. Her eyes went wide at seeing his black undershirt. Finding the nearest tree, Ivalee rushed behind it.

"What?" Sync asked.

"I-I'm just going to change here," Ivalee answered. She pulled off her shawl and jacket, then got halfway with taking off her white undershirt when she noticed Sync staring at her. Yanking it back down, she glared daggers back at him. Ivalee scooted farther around the tree and finished changing into her dry clothes.

"Ready?"

"Yea," Ivalee replied. She stuffed her wet clothes in the item bag, then started for the forest. Sync walked next to her, his hand in hers.

"Did you hear that?" Sync suddenly asked. Ivalee glanced around before shaking her head.

"Hear what?"

"…Never mind." He could have sworn that he heard something. Then he realized exactly what it was. His right hand curled into a fist as they walked.

"Is something wrong?" She questioned.

"It's nothing."

"Alright, if you're sure." They walked in silence for a while longer before Sync stopped. "What are you-" Sync jerked her to the side just as a bullet whizzed by her head.

"Hold it right there." An all-too familiar voice sounded. Both lovers turned their heads to see Legretta, with Arietta and Largo not too far behind. Sync raised his head up to the sky and groaned loudly.

"Can't you leave us alone?!" He yelled.

"Sorry Sync, but we have other plans that take priority." Largo said.

"Since when do you decide what my priorities are?!" The green-haired boy was getting extremely ticked off by the threesome. _Interrupted, again!_

"Since you were born a piece of trash, meant to serve the Score."Legretta replied. Sync twitched at the sound of original purpose.

"Don't listen to her!" Ivalee protested. "You weren't born for nothing!"

"Shut up!" Arietta shouted.

"If you weren't born," The redhead continued. "then you wouldn't have met me." Sync looked back to Ivalee, softening up a little.

"Sync, you can do whatever you'd like after we stop Luke and the others from saving Lorelei." Legretta stated.

"And how long until we'd die?" Ivalee asked. "One, maybe two weeks at the most?"

"But then the Score would be destroyed, just like we planned all along." The blonde woman replied. Ivalee leaned closer to Sync.

"You mean this whole time they were just planning your death?" she whispered into his ear without taking her eyes off of Legretta. Sync didn't answer, but his eyes were cast down to the ground. She stared at him for a minute before speaking again. "And you knew it all along?"

He didn't answer right away. But just when she thought he'd never answer, he responded,

"Even if I was dying, at least I'd be dying with you." Ivalee held back a smile, oblivious to Legretta, who seemed to be getting angrier by the second.

"That's enough talk," Legretta cock her guns at them. "Now I suggest you come with us before anyone gets hurt." She purposely looked at Ivalee as she said that.

"Ivalee," Sync started to say, nudging her. "run, now." Ivalee glanced at him before stumbling backwards and running to the forest.

"Stop!" Legretta shot at Ivalee, but Sync jumped in front of her and kicked the guns off target. Largo swung his scythe, nearly hitting Legretta and just missing Sync. Arietta rushed past all three of them towards Ivalee.

Sync turned his head to see Arietta chasing Ivalee, only a few feet behind. He ditched both of the adults and charged at the two teenage girls, still dodging Legretta's bullets. Arietta reached out to grab Ivalee, but he grabbed her before she could. Twisting her around, he glared at her.

"Don't you dare touch her." Sync hissed. Arietta's eyes widened at his sudden anger. She'd never seen him like this; as if he would kill the next person who would get in his way. Or in this case, whoever would hurt Ivalee.

Largo pulled Sync away from the little pink-haired girl and restrained his arms behind his back. By then, Ivalee had already disappeared in the forest that surrounded Daath.

"Sync," Legretta walked into view, putting away her guns as she spoke. "What happened to the old you? The heartless, cruel person who only wanted to rid the world of the Score."

"He found a reason to live." Sync turned his head away, indicating that the conversation was over.

--

Ivalee trudged through the forest, looking for any signs of the city. _Running in here without looking to see what direction to go wasn't my best idea,_ she thought. _But then again, Arietta __**was**__ chasing me._

A while later she staggered out into the open area, with Daath under a mile away. Silently thanking Lorelei, Ivalee rushed down the field and through the gates. People bustled around town, some stopping here and there to see a shop, others just passing by.

Her legs felt weak and strained from running, so she plopped down on the nearest bench. No one that she knew was in sight, but she assumed they were at the inn. _Wait! Damn it, I don't have any money. Sync has the item bag with everything in it. _Ivalee leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to come up with a way to make some fast cash.

She wasn't sure how long had passed since she had sat down, but a voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Ivalee?" Her eyes blinked open to look for the source of the voice.

"Asch!"


	22. The 'Meeting'

"What are you doing here?" Asch inquired.

"I came back," Ivalee replied simply.

"I thought you were still in Grand Chokmah with-" He paused; a disgusted look crossed his face. "Never mind." Asch turned around and started to walk away.

"H-hey!" She exclaimed, jumping up. "I didn't sl-"

"Just hurry up."

"But we really nev-"

"Are you coming or not?"

"Fine! I'm coming!"

--

"Sync! Answer me!"

"Why should I?!" He crossed his arms and glared at the woman across the table.

"We need information!" Legretta yelled.

"I don't care!" _If she hadn't threatened to kill Ivalee, I wouldn't even be here in this damned inn room right now!_

"Did Ivalee give you any news regarding their plans?!" She repeated her question.

"I'm not telling you!"

"Well, then," Legretta said, calming down. "If you won't tell me, then we'll have to resort to having Ivalee talk."

"And what makes you think she'd answer to _you_?!"

"I never said she'd tell us directly." She leaned back in the chair, tapping her fingers together.

"Who is going to make her-" He stopped, realizing exactly who she was talking about.

"Largo," She motioned for the other silent person in the room to get up. "get Sync." Said green haired boy grinded his teeth together, trying to come up with a loophole to get out of this mess.

"I am not going to ask her anything!" He shouted. Legretta stood up immediately and strolled leisurely behind the Sync.

"Look, I know exactly what you want." She talked quietly, so that only he could hear her. "You want to be alone with Ivalee; with no problems or worries. Just the two of you. And there's only one place where that could happen."

"Where?" Sync growled.

"The dark, black abyss of death. And she won't give up her life that easily; that I know for sure."

"Your point?"

"My point is that if you destroy Lorelei, just as we planned, then you and Ivalee will be able to be together." Legretta had a way of bending peoples' thoughts around to fit her wicked plans; though Sync was oblivious of it. "But if you help her save Lorelei, then you'll never get that chance. There's always something wrong in the world, so she'd always be worried and occupied about other things."

_Damn it_, he thought. _I can't believe she's right. But just because she's right doesn't mean I have to do it, right?_

"I think it's time to pay Sync's girlfriend a visit."

--

"Hey Asch, where's Anise?"

"She's at some meeting. It's mandatory for all high ranking members of the Order of Lorelei."

"Oh." Ivalee slumped back in her chair. She really wanted to talk to her for a little while to get her mind off of Sync. He was pretty much all she thought about nowadays, since they already found the cure for Lorelei. Standing up, she told Asch that she'd be upstairs in the girls' room if he needed her. He made a slight noise, sounding somewhere in between annoyed and not interested.

Ivalee went ahead upstairs to the room she, Tear, and Anise shared. Plopping down on the bed, she wondered if Sync was going to be at the meeting._ He __**is**__ the Commandant after all, so it'd seem reasonable. _

Time ticked by, leaving her alone with her thoughts for hours. After what seemed like an eternity to her, the door creaked open slowly. Ivalee assumed that it was probably Anise or Tear coming back from wherever they were. She didn't hear anything, not even footsteps.

"Hey," she said blankly.

"Hey." Ivalee sat up at the sound of his voice. It wasn't Anise, or Tear, but _Sync_.

"Sync!" She exclaimed. He shut the door quietly behind him, locking it for an unknown cause. "W-what are y-you doing?" Her mood changed in three seconds flat, from surprised to slightly scared.

"Just…making sure that Legretta won't interrupt." Sync lied. He wanted to tell her the truth, but then, who knows what Legretta would do. _I just hope she won't tell me anything really important._

"Interrupt? Interrupt what?"

"I wanted to spend some time with you, alone; without her getting in the way again." _Well, it wasn't a total lie._

"Oh…" Silence erupted between them, neither wanting to break it.

"So," He began. "shouldn't you be at the Sephiroth right now?"

"Uh, actually, Anise has this meeting tonight that she can't miss, so we're going to wait 'till tomorrow and then leave right after. That way, Luke, Asch and I can rest tonight and then again on the Albiore." Ivalee explained.

"Why just you three?" Sync inquired.

"We're the ones who create a hyperressonance to get rid of the rocks blocking the way." Damn it, she gave him a key piece of information. And now, Legretta was going to know exactly who to target.

"Does this mean that you'll be free tonight?"

"I guess. Why?"

"Would you like to go with me to the meeting?" He asked. If he had to go, well then maybe he could at least bright things up a bit.

"Me?" She sat there with, astonished. "Go to a _meeting?_ With you?"

"Well, it's not exactly a meeting. It's more like a party, except you just meet people and talk." Sync clarified. There was a short pause before she answered.

"Alright."

--

Legretta stood in the back of the inn, underneath the window Ivalee and Sync were in. Yet though the room was a story higher, she could still hear them perfectly. The window was slightly ajar, so that made it even easier.

"We're the ones who create a hyperressonance to get rid or the rocks blocking the way." She heard Ivalee tell Sync. _Exactly what I needed_, Legretta thought. Slipping away, she reminded herself to use that technique again.

--

People stood around the large area, chatting and drinking with whoever they met. Others sat in scattered chairs and couches around the room or hung out at the little bar.

Ivalee squirmed in the small sofa, getting in a more comfortable position. Sync was right next to her, with his arm on the back of the couch and his hand on her shoulder.

"Sync," Ivalee whined. "Can we leave yet? It's been four hours." Her tone of voice made it clear that she really did not enjoy going to parties, or 'meetings' as the Order of Lorelei called it.

"Not yet," He answered. "Grand Maestro Tritheim still has some people for me to meet." She sighed and closed her eyes. Looking down at her, Sync all of a sudden felt a pang of guilt. He had _used_ her; weaseling information out without her even realizing it.

"I'm going to get a glass of water." Ivalee stated, standing up and walking away. He stared after her for a few seconds, before someone came up to him.

"Hello, Commandant Sync I presume?" The man shook his hand and sat down in the seat across from him. All night had gone somewhat like this, meeting various people and listening to them chatter on.

Sync pretended like he was listening, instead letting his mind wander to Ivalee.

--

She sat down at the small bar before trying to get the bartender's attention. He looked up for barely a second, then went back to washing a cup in his hands. His gray hair was thinning, and a dirtied apron was tied around his belly.

"Um, sir." Ivalee tried to catch the bartender's attention. He didn't seem to pay any interest to her.

"Here, I'll buy you a drink."A man behind her placed his hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit, but regained her composure just as quickly.

"Oh, thank you." Swiveling around on the bar stood, she got a good look at the generous man. He had tousled creamy brown hair with tanned skin that accented his features. His dark blue eyes looked friendly at her.

"I'm Jae," He introduced himself.

"Ivalee," She responded, shaking his hand politely. Jae leaned over the bar and whispered something to the bartender that she couldn't hear. The older man scowled rudely, but put the dish down to grab a glass to fill up. The young man sat down on the stool next to her. Judging by his looks, he couldn't have been more than two years older than herself.

A glass was placed in front of her, but the liquid inside sure as hell didn't look like water. It was a brown-ish yellow color, and it reeked of something foul; yet she was unable to tell what.

Ivalee stared at it with repulsion, hoping that it was for him and not her.

"Don't worry, it's the finest you can find in town," Jae reassured. Out of pure courtesy, she lifted the strange liquid and took a sip. It stung her throat, making it hard not to throw it back up.

"How is it?" he asked.

"It's…" Ivalee suppressed a twitch as she lied. "…great." Jae watched eagerly as she began to drink more, though she secretly hoped that he would leave so that she could stop drinking the horrible tasting drink.

--

The man who had spoken to Sync stood back up and bid a farewell. He did so too, not even remembering one word the man had said the entire time. Grand Maestro Tritheim walked up to him after saying his farewell to a couple that was previously talking to him.

"That is everyone. You may leave now." Sync glanced back at the Grand Maestro's retreating back, then he twisted around to see where Ivalee was. He saw her sitting at the bar, with a man he didn't know. Jealously immediately kicked in, and he pushed himself to a standing position.

There was no way in hell that he'd let some damned jerk touch _his_ girl.

**Author's Note: Just guess what'll happen next. (Snickers) Oh, and I finished reading Twilight, which was recommended by three of my friends to read. But I finished it in record time! (Ha to xXAsalemXx, XxTwilightxXxIsamazing, and my other friend who doesn't have an account! Read in less than 24 hours!) Ahem, excuse me. I'll end it here before someone dies of boredom. Please R&R!**


	23. Pure Torture

"So…" Jae began to say. "Do you want to go out?" Ivalee looked towards him, putting down her empty glass next to the other four empty glasses. Her eyes had a glassy look to them, as if she was zoning out.

"Ok," She agreed in an overly happy voice. At that moment, Sync came up from behind her and glared at Jae.

"Who the hell are you?" The brunette man asked Sync.

"I'm her boyfriend." He replied sharply.

"You must be mistaken; she's _my_ girlfriend." Sync glanced at Ivalee's blank look on her face, then at the five empty glasses.

"It's hard to believe that you have to get them intoxicated to go out with you." He took another look at Jae. "Then again, it's not that hard." Jae glared daggers at him and grasped Ivalee's arm.

"We're leaving."

"She came here with me." Sync growled as he followed in suit and seized her other arm.

"It doesn't matter who she came with," he argued.

"Well, she's not going anywhere with you!" Sync yanked her towards him, but Jae jerked her back.

"Let go of her!"

"You first!" Ivalee was being pulled back and forth between the two men, yet she had a confused look on her face, as if to say, 'Why am I moving?' Sync dropped Ivalee's arm and instead gripped the other man's collar. By now, a mob of people had formed around the three.

The green-haired boy pulled his fist back, ready to punch Jae right in the face. And if it wasn't for one voice in the crowd, he would have.

"Commandant Sync!"Grand Maestro Tritheim arose from the multitudes of people.

"Oh shit…" Sync muttered to himself. Jae's eyes went wide at the sound of his title as commandant. A few people around them started to whisper to each other.

"Commandant?"

"Yes, didn't you know?"

"He's so…aggressive."

"I wonder why they chose him…" With all of the talking going around, an awful lot of it was negative comments. Sync dropped Jae and slowly turned to face his superior. (Technically, Sync is Tritheim's superior, but since he's only sixteen, then Tritheim was assigned to 'aide' him.)

"Sync, I suggest you take Ivalee and leave." It sounded more like an order rather than a suggestion the way the Grand Maestro said it. The Commandant did as told, dragging Ivalee away, making sure she wasn't within a ten-foot radius of _Jae_. They got as far as the door before she finally spoke.

"Hey Sync," Ivalee chanted in her drunken voice. He looked down at her, his hand on the doorknob. "Are we going to sleep in your bed or my bed tonight?"

Sync twitched. She always _had_ to say the stupidest things at the wrong times. The crowd was still watching, not making any sign of going back to normal. Scared, horrified, shocked, and disbelief were etched all over their faces.

"Haha," Sync faked a small laugh through clenched teeth. "Very funny. Now let's go." Twisting the door open, he shoved her out into the open air.

"But you said-" The door slammed behind them so that she was cut off, not letting her convince the people otherwise.

--

Ivalee skipped happily around him in circles as they walked. To his eyes, it looked more like she was trying to dodge incoming bullets.

"Will you stop?" Sync asked irritably. It was bad enough that he had someone else eyeing her, but for her to be _drunk?!_ It was pure torture.

"Nope!" She cheered and continued to 'dodge' the 'invisible bullets.' He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"You're a happy drunk, aren't you?" Of course, he was only joking, though the title seemed fitting. _Happy drunk… Well, she is using that weird cheery voice._ Ivalee didn't answer in words, but instead tripped over her own feet. Scowling, Sync caught her and set her straight again. Her eyes wandered around the area until they caught sight of one thing;

The fountain.

He inwardly cursed as he noticed what she was about to do. Reaching out, he yelled for her to stop. But Ivalee was already scrambling over to it. The water splashed everywhere before his eyes and to his dismay, Ivalee was soaked to the bone.

She squealed in delight like a little five year old. She was technically five, since she was a replica. _Wait…_ He thought for a second. _Who the hell gives a five year old __**beer?! **_

"Ivalee, get back here!" He chased after her, trying not to get wet himself. She kept running around in the water without paying any attention to him. Sync leaned over the edge to grasp her leg, but she slid right by him. He fell into the water headfirst with a large splash, getting drenched from the waist up.

Sitting upright on the side of the fountain, he mused over ways to catch Ivalee and drag her back to her inn room. _Tripping her would be too harsh…and I don't suppose she'd enjoy the morning sores she'd have…_ Everything he could think of was pretty cruel to do to her. Though, if this would have been anyone else, he would've left them back at the meeting to fight for their own damned, intoxicated self.

Lucky for him, he didn't have to do anything. Ivalee ran in a complete circle around the fountain before collapsing next to him, taking her bright and cheerful spirits down with her.

"It's c-c-cold," She sputtered out, shivering from the midnight wind.

"Yea, you just noticed that.'"Sync said sarcastically. He picked her up out of the water and carried her the rest of the way to the inn.

Sync kicked the door open and passed the shocked innkeeper on his way upstairs. The girls' door was cracked open slightly, probably still waiting for Ivalee to get back. He heard their hushed voices coming from inside the room.

"Where is she?!" One girl exclaimed, though her voice was quiet. He could tell it was Anise talking.

"Sync promised to have her back by eleven," Another girl said calmly.

"But it's past midnight!" Anise whispered fiercely.

"I'm sure she'll be back any minute." It was most likely the melodist speaking then.

"I swear," Anise hissed. "if he doesn't get here in two minutes, I'm going to-" Sync nudged the bottom of the door with his toe. All three of the woman turned their heads at the same time. Relief washed over them as they spotted Ivalee, nevertheless, it vanished once they noticed she was soaking wet.

"What happened?!" Tear asked worriedly. He set Ivalee down on the nearest bed, ignoring her question. Immediately, Anise scrambled over to her and started bombarding her with questions. Ivalee just stared into the distance with a blank look on her face.

"What's wrong with her?" The pink-clad girl demanded, pointing to the redhead sitting next to her.

"She had too much to drink." Sync replied.

"Too much to…drink?" Natalia looked at him confused from the chair she was currently sitting at.

"I can't believe you!" Anise shouted, not caring that it was after midnight. "Getting Ivalee drunk so you can take her so soon-"

"What are you talking about?!" Sync roared back.

"-I mean, I knew you were going to do it sometime, I just thought that it'd be later when you'd be older and _could_ take care of a baby." Sync's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. None of the girls seemed to notice.

"N-no! I-I didn't want to do that!"

"Then why is she drunk?!"

"She got herself drunk!"

"Yea," Anise's voice was filled to the brim with sarcasm. "'cause we're _so_ going to believe _that_."

"But it's true, damn it!"

"Sync," Ivalee suddenly spoke up, looking at him. "I miss your bed." His blush deepened, and Anise went wide-eyed.

"WHAT?!" She fumed.

"Anise, calm down." Tear put a hand on her shoulder.

"She probably didn't mean it, since she _is_ drunk," Natalia added.

"No, I meant it," Ivalee said in an innocent, child-like voice. Anise's face reddened to match Ivalee's hair. She lunged forward, but Natalia and Tear jumped up and held her back. Sync grabbed Ivalee and left the room to avoid anymore embarrassment.

"Yea, you better run!" Anise screamed.

**Author's Note: Thanks to xXAsalemXx for help with it all. I could have never made Ivalee's comments so interesting without her help. **


	24. Spying Troubles

Sync breathed a sigh of relief. Being around those girls was more horrible than he thought it would have been. Ivalee snuggled into his chest, still soaked with water. This was no doubt, one of his worst nights ever.

He was sitting on his bed back in the cathedral waiting for Ivalee to fall asleep. She was being very persistent about him going to sleep, too.

"Aww, c'mon Sync! You're tired!" She complained. "Go to sleep!"

"No." There was no way that he was going to fall asleep just yet. He was going to make sure that she was sound asleep before he was anywhere near collapsing on his bed.

"Pleeeeease?" Ivalee begged. She leaned her face extremely close to his and continued to annoy him. "Pleeeeeeeeeease?" The repulsive smell of alcohol drifted from her mouth.

"No," Sync repeated.

"Just lay down, and close your eyes." Ivalee poked his chest, trying to convince him; though failing miserably.

"Fine." He lied, lying back on the pillows and closing his eyes. He was going to pretend to sleep until Ivalee was, seeing as their argument was getting nowhere.

She shifted her weight on his lap. He could feel her trying to get in a more comfortable position, rather than having her legs twisted sideways. She was still for a moment, then her hands were pressed against his chest and her breathing was on his face. He didn't appreciate the disgusting odor wafting from her mouth. But he didn't have any time to react as she kissed him.

Sync jumped slightly at the unexpected kiss. Since she wasn't going to remember anything in the morning, it would've been unfair for him to do anything besides watch over her and make sure she's safe. So kissing was out of the question.

He placed his hand on her shoulder, ready to push her away…

--

"Shhhh! You're going to rat us out!"

"Sorry!"

"Um, I'm not sure we should be doing this…"

"But I don't trust Sync; especially alone with Ivalee while she's drunk!"

"He can't be that horrible…can he?"

"Yes! Yes he can be!"

"Wait, isn't that the commandant's room?"

"Yea, now be quiet!" Anise hissed. She sat down next to the door and pressed her ear to it. Both Natalia and Tear crouched and leaned slightly forward towards the door.

"I don't hear anything," Tear commented.

"I still don't approve of this…" Natalia shook her head.

"What's going on in there…?" Anise asked no one in particular. She took her ear away from the door and peeked through the keyhole. Gasping quietly, she thought to herself angrily, _What a bastard!_

He had obviously pulled her into a kiss, taking advantage of the fact that she wouldn't remember anything in the morning. Her anger boiled over, and she stood up without warning. Tear followed in suit, not sure of what Anise was trying to do. Natalia still was listening for anything.

"He's such a bastard!" The raven-haired girl hissed while shaking her head furiously. Her hand stretched out and grasped the doorknob.

"Anise!" Natalia exclaimed.

"You can't!" Tear tried to pry her hand off the doorknob as quietly as possible. "We aren't even supposed to be here!" The melodist hummed under her breath, trying not to let Anise hear her.

"I'm going to teach that lying, deceiving-" Anise was cut off by Tear hymn, immediately taking effect. Her body slumped back into Natalia's arms.

"Um, Tear?"

"Yes?"

"What will we tell Anise once she wakes up?"

"We'll…We'll just tell her it must've been a dream."

--

Sync shoved Ivalee back, though he did it as gently. She blinked a few times before focusing on him.

"You smell like rain, Syncy." She stated. _It probably had something to do with the fact that I was dunked in a fountain! …Wait, did she just call me_ _**Syncy?!**_ _That must be the stupidest nickname ever invented on the face of Auldrant! _He thought bitterly. Even in her intoxicated state, he'd expect her to be able to come up with something better than _Syncy. _That's what most couples do; put a 'y' at the end of their names. As the thought occurred to him, the word _'couples'_ stood out.

Couples?! Since they were…together, (He couldn't figure out a better word) would that mean they were…a couple? He choked down the word. Sync never thought that he'd ever, _ever_ be in a relationship; other than comrades, if that was counted as a relationship.

"That's…nice?" It sound more like a question rather than an answer, but Ivalee didn't seem to notice.  
"Now, will you go to bed?"

"Alright, Syncy." Ivalee apparently didn't notice his extremely sour voice. She laid her head down on the pillows next to him, letting her eyes drift shut. He stared at her until her breathing became slow and even.

Sync stood and left her on the bed, instead taking the couch to sleep on. _Finally…_ he thought. By now, it was probably past one in the morning. His conscious started to slip, until he noticed extra weight on his lap. Opening one eye, there was Ivalee, curled up against him. Sighing, the exhausted commandant gave up and let her be.

--

Sync unfortunately woke up before Ivalee. Judging by the way that she gripped onto him, it didn't look like there would be a chance to get up. Her head was buried in his chest with her arms around his torso. He sighed, then absently played with her hair. She was snoring softly, but just loud enough so he could hear. Glancing at the clock, he realized that time had zipped by. 3:17 pm the clock read.

"Shit…" Sync muttered. But as soon as the word slipped his mouth, he wished he hadn't said anything. Ivalee stirred, her hands moved up to his neck. He wasn't sure if she was awake or not, but he guessed not. Her head rested against his shoulder now, and it was very tempting to kiss her then. But Sync resisted the urge, knowing that she'd probably scream if he did.

Ivalee fell back into sleep, continuing to snore quietly. The noise appeared louder than before, most likely because her head was closer to his ear. Sync waited somewhat patiently (he continued to play with her hair, finding it oddly amusing.) for Ivalee to wake up.

She finally blinked her eyes open, being blinded by the light. Ivalee was unaware that she was on top of Sync, that is, until his arms embraced her in a tight hug.

"Morning," he whispered into her ear. She smiled half-heartedly, and noticed for the first time, that her head was aching.

"Morning," she replied, though her throat was sore and her voice cracked. _What happened…?_ Ivalee replayed the night before in her head, thinking about what could have caused her throbbing head. All she could remember was that Jae bought her a drink…

"Damn Jae with his stupid magic water," Ivalee grumbled. She didn't know how he could've made her head hurt with water, but she knew he was the reason.

"…Ivalee," Sync began. "are you still intoxicated?" One word in his question caught her attention.

"_Still?!_"

"Apparently not."

"_Still?!_"

"What?"

"Since when was I drinking?!"

"Last night, you drank some beer that Jae bought you." Sync explained.

"Oh," She sighed. Of course, she'd be the only fifteen year old to not know what beer was.

"Don't worry; I took you here after that."

"Did I do anything…embarrassing?" She examined Sync's face as he answered her.

"Nothing bad." His emotionless expression didn't change. She wondered exactly why he wasn't telling her any details. _Oh, well. It's probably better if I don't know what happened._

"What time is it?" Ivalee asked with a yawn. Her voice was returning to normal, though she was excessively thirsty.

"Three-fifteen," He stated.

"_Three-fifteen?!_" She stared at him.

"What is with you and repeating everything I say?" Sync joked. She ignored his comment and pried his arms off of her. Ivalee ran towards the door before Sync grabbed her hand.

"Sync, I need to go now." Sync didn't let go. Her friends were probably waiting, and surely not happy about it. She could just see Jade suggesting they leave without her, and Anise opposing him.

"I'll come with you and explain." Sync stood up next to her and opened the door.

"Umm, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well, I bet they're wondering where I am and why I didn't go back to the inn last night…" She trailed off, letting him make his own assumptions.

"I'll be fine," He reassured her.

"Alright, but you'll have to race me there." Ivalee smiled brightly. She had completely forgotten about the headache by now. Plus, the thought of beating Sync in a race was making her very eager and distracting her. He returned the smile, though it was much smaller and less enthusiastic.

"Would you like a head start?"

**Author's Note: Yea, Sync's comment was kinda childish. But hey, he's trying to make Ivalee happy, k? Please R&R!**


	25. Awkward Moment

By taking the route alongside the outer part of the city, Ivalee would be able to get there before Sync. She glanced back hurriedly for a moment, only to direct her attention back in front of her. She had made a bet with Sync that if she beat him there, then she'd get whatever she wanted, within reason of course. And vice versa if Sync won.

Her hand reached out and touched the city wall as she ran, following it to the entrance. The inn was only a few steps away from the gates, lucky for her. It'd most likely take Sync another few minutes to get there, not counting the time it takes to get past all of the people…

A sharp pain ripped through her left shoulder. She crouched down, grasping at it. Ivalee thanked Lorelei that she had remembered to grab some gels back at Sync's room. She gulped an Apple Gel down, letting the stinging leave almost completely before moving again.

The inn wasn't very crowded at this time. Most travelers had already packed up and left by that time. So the lobby was empty, except for the innkeeper who eyed her suspiciously. Like she was the cause of some commotion. Ivalee shook it off and continued up the stairs and to the girls' room.

The door was cracked open and she peeked in, seeing Anise, Tear, and Natalia.

"I had a weird dream last night," Anise told the other two girls. "Ivalee had somehow gotten drunk and Sync brought her back here." Her breath hitched. Maybe Anise was wrong; maybe it was _real_.

"They were both soaking wet and left puddles everywhere. Then he tried to deny that he didn't get her drunk to sleep with her." Ivalee choked. _Sleep with me?!_ "But Ivalee made a really weird comment about missing Sync's bed." She about had a heart-attack over that one. Sync never told her _that_. Ivalee listened intently, gasping ever time Anise mentioned something that she did or what Sync supposedly 'wanted' to do. (She wasn't sure if any of it was true or not.)

"...And then it stopped there." Anise concluded. "Isn't it so bizarre?"

"How odd." Tear agreed.

"Y-yes, very u-unusual," Natalia stuttered. Anise raised an eyebrow at her hesitation. Natalia was obviously not used to lying.

"Natalia," Anise started, extremely suspicious. "is there something you'd like to say?"

"It's true!" Natalia cried out, putting her head in her hands. "Tear cast Nightmare on you so you'd think it was all a dream!" Anise gaped at them, along with Ivalee.

"You?! Tear?!" The pink-clad girl turned to the melodist. "Why?!"

"I thought it'd help out Sync and Ivalee if you thought it never happened," Tear explained.

"But-"

"I know you don't trust Sync," She continued, cutting Anise off. "and I knew that you'd assume the worst. Sync really never intended to get Ivalee drunk or sleep with her. It's just a misunderstanding." Ivalee thanked the girl silently for standing up for Sync. That was one other person who trusted him.

"How would _you_ know?!"

"Because I was watching his reaction to your yelling. He was really shocked when you first accused him, and the look in his eyes showed that he was telling the truth."

"He could have been acting!"

"You didn't see it because you were too furious at the assumptions you made. Maybe if you would have calmed down and talked with him, you would've noticed it too."

"Sync could be with Ivalee right now! Who knows what they could be doing?!" Anise exclaimed.

"I'm right here." Ivalee pushed the door open and walked in. "And Sync never intended to do anything with me other than keep me safe."

"Ivalee!" Anise jumped up and hugged her. "Thank Lorelei you're not drunk anymore!"

"Anise," Ivalee began, prying the other girl off of her. "Sync really didn't intend anything. Though he didn't tell me about what I did…"

"How long were you at the door?" Tear asked.

"Just long enough to hear what Anise remembered." She once again thought back to the fact that Sync had lied to her. Sync…_a liar_. She shuddered. He wouldn't lie to her. Maybe when they were practically enemies he would've, but now they were…together; as a couple. Ivalee wasn't totally sure about how Sync felt on that subject, but she assumed that he wasn't too thrilled about it.

"So, he really didn't tell you what happened?" Anise said, shocked. Ivalee shook her head in response. She would've loved it if they stopped reminding her.

The door creaked opened, and the foursome turned their heads to see who it was. Sync stood at the door, right on time. He leisurely walked to Ivalee, embracing her in a hug. Though he was aware of the three other pairs of eyes on him.

"Sync, tell me what happened last night." Ivalee demanded, disregarding her fluttering heart and light-pink cheeks. She wasn't used to having an audience while she was this close to Sync. He seemed to notice her embarrassment…and also enjoyed it. His arms tightened, making her cheeks turn a brighter shade.

"Why?" He asked, smoothing his voice into a soft chant. Her heart jumped a few beats faster. If it hadn't been for the other people in the room, Ivalee would have forgotten all about her question. Maybe that was his intention...?

"Don't try and distract me," She warned him. But she wasn't quick enough. His lips crashed into hers, and all previous thoughts vanished. Sync pulled away only seconds after that, but it still left Ivalee dumbfounded. If it wasn't for Anise, Sync devious plan would've worked.

"Ahem," The impatient Fon Master interrupted.

"R-right!" Ivalee stammered, remembering it again. "Sync, don't do t-that!"

"What?" He looked at her innocently. His hands moved down her back to her hips. She jumped, more nervous than before. Sync didn't doubt that he'd get yelled at by her friends for this.

"T-trying to make me forget about it!"

"About what?" Sync continued to act like he didn't have a clue to what she was talking about. His conscience told him that he should stop and tell her the truth, but his mind had other ideas. He moved his face closer to hers, enjoying her increasing blush and embarrassment.

"Sync!" She gasped. He smirked for the first time in a while. He couldn't help it; she was just so damn _adorable_ when she was like this.

"Hmm?" He cocked one eyebrow.

"I think it would be best if you cut the act, Sync," Tear spoke up. "It won't work with all of us here." Sync grimaced as he realized that she was right. He let Ivalee have her space and turned grudgingly to face the rest of them.

"What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with how Ivalee exactly got drunk," Tear suggested. Natalia still felt guilty from blurting out the truth, and still had her head in her hands.

"Well," He began, "Ivalee went to go get a glass of water, and some bastard thought he could get her to like him if she was intoxicated…" And he continued to tell the story, as truthful as possible. Ivalee's blush had softened, though it flared up again once he mentioned some of the more embarrassing things she did.

The Commandant finished his story with 'hmph' and sat down on the nearest cushioned chair. Ivalee followed him and sat in his lap.

"See? I told you Sync was innocent!" She gloated to Anise.

"He did lie to you in the past, so how do you know he isn't lying now?" Anise pointed out.

"Because I know that he isn't lying," Ivalee replied. "Besides, I'd know if he tried anything in the middle of the night."

"But you were drunk! You wouldn't have remembered!"

"I'd know if he did anything! Anyway, he's better than you give him credit for!"

"You-" Anise was abruptly cut off by the door swinging open. The four males of the group were there, with not very pleased looks on their faces. Asch glared at Sync, for what reason Ivalee didn't know.

"Ah, Ivalee, you're back," Jade said sarcastically. "How was sleeping with Sync?" She turned even redder, if that was even possible. Sync stared angrily at Jade.

"I did _not_ sleep with Ivalee," he growled. Jade shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

"Oh, what a naughty liar you are. Almost as bad as Luke." The Colonel ignored the look Luke shot at him.

"Sync's right," Ivalee backed him up.

"But it would've been so interesting to examine a child of two replicas." Both Sync and Ivalee twitched noticeably at Jade's comment.

"Ok, Jade," The redhead girl began. "One, I never slept with Sync. Two, I'm not pregnant. And three, if I ever had a baby, like hell I'd let it near _you_."

"Um, Ivalee?" Tear said. "You know Jade meant Sync and you when he said 'two replicas', right?"

"Yea, I assumed so."

"And you didn't object to that?"

"No."

"So…" Anise started off where Tear left off. "you _want _to have Sync's baby?"

"N-no!" Ivalee stuttered. Sync blushed, which was highly unusual. This was probably the most awkward topic he'd _ever_ talk about in his lifetime. Ivalee craned her head to the side to see him, and he hoped that he wasn't as red as her.

"Sync, you're blushing." She stated. That just made him slightly more flushed. All eyes turned to him.

_Damn it_, he mentally cursed. It was times like these that he wished that he didn't ditch the mask…

**Author's Note: Ah, sorry 'bout the lateness, like usual. But, um, R&R!**


	26. Make A Choice

"Are we going to head to the Sephiroth anytime soon?" Guy asked.

"Right, we should get going." Tear agreed. Sync was relieved that they had gotten off the uncomfortable subject and kissed the top of Ivalee's head, though not without earning a glare from Asch. It seemed like Asch hated him more than usual since he'd been with Ivalee. Hmph.

Something was bothering his mind, but he couldn't quite remember what.

"I wonder where Legretta went…" Ivalee mumbled under her breath. Was that…sarcasm in her voice? Was he hearing right? Did Ivalee know something he didn't? Her hand squeezed his and she looked up at him. Sync couldn't tell what she was trying to tell him, that is, until her left hand gently touched her shoulder.

"_**I said, where are we going to place the troops to stop them at the next Sephiroth?"**_

"_**They're headed for Daath."**_

"_**Sync, this is for your own good."**_

"_**NO!"**_

The memory caused him to wince slightly. It wasn't one that he enjoyed thinking about it. But what he didn't understand was how Ivalee would know that. She was asleep during the meeting, so how…?

But what if Ivalee _hadn't _been asleep? If she was pretending the whole time and listening to everything. It could be possible, but he'd never think that Ivalee would ever do something like that. That seemed like the only possible reason, but yet… He reminded himself to ask her about it later.

Sync warily glanced around the room, carefully examining everyone's expressions. They all appeared relaxed, so he assumed that none of them expected Legretta's attack.

Exactly how she wanted it.

Ivalee nudged him with her elbow and tilted her head towards the rest of the group. He took that as a sign that she wanted him to tell everyone, assuming that she knew somehow. Ivalee rolled her eyes at his hesitation and cleared her throat, gaining the party's attention.

"I think Sync has something to tell you," She stated. Again, all eyes rested on him. For some unknown reason, he felt a bit nervous. He'd never experienced this in the past; he had no problem yelling at soldiers. But this was different. _Well, at least it's tactics_, he grimaced.

"Legretta planned to place troops in Mount Zaleho, so I'm guessing that they're already there."

"How many?" Luke questioned.

"I'd say at least twenty soldiers," Sync responded.

"Then we should buy some extra gels and bottles on the way," Anise suggested.

--

Legretta's angered eyes flicked to the entrance, waiting for Sync to arrive. Right on cue, the young commandant waltzed in. His eyes portrayed no sense of emotion. She didn't like that.

"Sync," She began, making sure the sarcasm was obvious in her voice. "do you have any idea of when your girlfriend and the others are getting here?" Sync glanced up at her, scowling, before turning around with his arms crossed. He clearly didn't like Ivalee being paired with the word 'girlfriend'.

There was no doubt in her mind that he had told them she was waiting with soldiers when the group appeared into view. They all were ready, armed and stocked up with gels and bottles, though she doubted that they'd need them with these highly inexperienced soldiers at her flank. Strong fighters were hard to recruit nowadays. Plus, since the war ended, soldiers weren't needed, and the parents of the volunteers were more than happy to withdraw their children. Luckily, Arietta and Largo were waiting in the shadows for her command.

Luke unsheathed his sword at the first sight of the Oracle Knights, and the others followed as well.

"I'm not fighting," Sync stated.

"Yes, you will." Legretta waved her hand forward, calling the two figures out of the shadow. Arietta whistled loudly, and Sync glanced around the room cautiously. Another one of her annoying blue birds flew in from the entrance, grabbing Ivalee by her wrist before anyone could move. It flew across the room, then tossed her towards the back entrance, where Legretta had entered earlier. She let out a small scream before crossing her arms in front of her face.

"Ivalee!" Sync shouted, running to try and catch her. But a liger jumped out from the large door and caught her on its back. Ivalee sat up straight, holding her head in one hand. The monster jerked forward, forcing Ivalee to grab its fur to keep from falling. They disappeared back through the doorway. He faintly heard her scream his name.

"Damn it!" He yelled. The Commandant fell to his knees, knowing that he wouldn't be able to catch up to them.

"Now, fight." Legretta commanded heartlessly. Sync's fists clenched and he stood back up.

"Why the hell do you think I'll fight now?!" He growled, turning slowly to face her. If she thought that getting Ivalee kidnapped would ever get him to fight her friends, then she must be insane. _She probably is already insane…_

"Arietta's liger is taking her to the cages near the fonstone, where the lava is rising." Legretta explained. "If you don't get there quickly, she'll die." Sync's teeth clenched together loudly, and without a doubt, everyone else heard it too. Largo blocked the doorway to that room, and there was no way that he could take down Largo. "The faster you get the fight over with, the better chance that you'll find her alive."

"Let me through," he hissed.

"Sorry Sync," Largo apologized, even though there wasn't a hint of sorrow in his deep voice.

"It's your choice," Legretta continued. "fight, or she dies."

**Author's Note: Two words: WRITER'S BLOCK!!!! Argh! I haven't been able to update in forever! Well, almost a month to be exact. Hmm, I probably shouldn't take on more than three stories at a time. Let's see…I have one…two…three…four…five…six. Six stories going on in my head! Well, I'm helping other people with two of them, but I'm still using my brain for ideas. Oh, sorry for my excessively long author's note. Anyways, read and review please! (P.S. Sorry if I got anything about Mount Zaleho wrong, I based it off of what I found on the Internet because I had to give the copy I was using back to my friend.)**


	27. Choose Wisely

"_It's your choice," Legretta continued. "fight, or she dies."_

His eyes narrowed. Of course they just_ had_ to kidnap Ivalee and put her in a dangerous situation. He'd give anything just to be able to punch her right smack in the stomach…

"Sync," Legretta tapped her foot impatiently. "I suggest you hurry up. The lava isn't going to slow down anytime soon."

The obvious choice for him was to fight, then save Ivalee. But then if he did kill her friends, then Ivalee would be upset with him. And if he didn't, Ivalee would die, and he wouldn't have been able to live without her. Largo blocked the exit...but only if someone could distract him long enough…

Without a word, he lunged towards Anise, who stood near the front of the group, and began to swipe at her. She jumped back, taking Tokunaga in her hands. The fontech doll grew large, and she hopped on its back. Asch ran towards him, unsheathing his sword. It made a shallow cut on his forearm as the swordsman past by him.

"I'll get Largo," he whispered so quietly that no one else had a chance of hearing. It seemed as if Asch had read his mind.

Arietta's other two monsters attacked, and Arietta began casting. Legretta smirked as she shot bullets at Jade, though he blocked and dodged them all. Tear continued to heal and cast boosting artes, as usual. Natalia took on the large bird, making sure it didn't have the chance to swipe at anyone else. Guy charged at Legretta, gathering fonons for Wyrm Wrath.

Anise trotted around Sync and hit Arietta with a surprise Cyclone Blaze. Those two were distracted, and Asch made his move. He swerved around the fighting, making it seem that he was helping. Sync stood up and followed him, as if he was pursuing to fight Asch. To make it even more convincing, Asch turned around and held his sword up to block Sync. They continued to 'fake it', getting closer and closer to Largo.

Once they were close enough, Largo pulled out his scythe. He swung it at Asch, but the redhead ducked under and darted around to his side. Asch tried to take a stab at Largo, but he blocked it, and they successfully had gotten Largo to turn sideways. There was just enough room for Sync to dash between the two weapons, if Asch could keep it locked there long enough.

"Run!" Asch commanded, straining under the pressure. Sync did as told, slipping through the blades. Just in time, since Largo caught on right after Sync had made his escape. He heard the someone push the blades away and say something, but he couldn't hear it. There were footsteps behind him, but Sync wouldn't take the chance of looking back to see who it was. Not until he got Ivalee safe.

The footsteps stop abruptly, and there was a stabbing sound. He didn't want to know what had happened, for he wasn't sure who exactly had gotten hit…

--

"Augh!" He shouted, falling to the ground. _Not again, not again…_ Was the only thing that was running through his head. He couldn't die now. They were too far, and he'd already had the experience. It wasn't pleasant.

"You're dead," The killer stood up behind him. A large cut in his abdomen bleed continuously, refusing to stop.

"I…can't…" he panted. "Not again…" It was the most horrible thing he'd ever had happen. Dying… Realizing that he_ had_ died, and feeling the scars on his skin, permanently carved there. The black abyss…

"That's what you get for taking the wrong side; the losing side." His slayer barked out a bitter laugh. How cruel…

It was then that he understood. The man next to him, wielding a blade half-covered in blood, that things were truly better this way. His death would be forgotten soon, never to be mentioned. There was no one to mourn for him, since they had all passed away.

Largo inhaled his final breath before collapsing and closing his eyes.

--

"Ivalee!" Sync screamed at the top of his lungs. He wasn't sure exactly where the cages were, but hopefully his lack of knowledge wouldn't cost him. He couldn't lose her again.

--

Ivalee paced back and forth in the small cell, fretting about how she was going to get out. The lava was rising, and she was going to be toast if she didn't find a way to get out. Arietta's liger was sprawled out on the ground on the other side of the bars. It didn't worry at all.

"I wish I could be as calm as that liger," she mumbled. It sat up, sniffing at the brass key in front of it; the one to unlock the cage so she could escape. The liger's stomach growled loudly, and its tongue stretched out, grasping the key.

"Don't eat the-" she started to say, but it swallowed it whole. "Damn it…" That stupid monster just ate her only escape. Now she was going to burn up in lava, without a good-bye to Sync… Tears welled up as she thought about him, probably being tortured, all because of Legretta. That damned, evil, wicked b-

"Ivalee!" A voice echoed through the large area.

"Sync!" She franticly looked around, though she couldn't see him yet. Then he finally appeared, sticking his head out from behind the fonstone. His beautiful emerald gaze turned on her. Ivalee's breath slowed and she didn't take her eyes off of him. Not even when the liger growled loudly at her savior. In mere seconds, he was right in front of her, the only thing in between them being the cage door. He was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath, probably from running so much.

"Where's the key?" Sync asked, distracting her from his face. She pressed her lips together tightly. "Ivalee? Where is it?"

"The liger…ate it." He stared at her with a blank look in his eyes.

"It…ate it?" He repeated, still dumbfounded. She nodded. "Okay, then where's your sword?"

"The liger-" Ivalee started, but Sync cut her off.

"What, he ate that too?" Now it was her turn to look at him blankly.

"No…He's sitting on it." Surely enough, when Sync turned, the liger had it under its paws. The monster's lips were curled into a snarl. Sync took a few steps toward it, but the growls only got louder. He dung in his pocket, searching for something. His hand came out holding a berry, though it looked old and indigestible. Ivalee wrinkled her nose in distaste, but the liger apparently liked it. Its eyes followed Sync's hand, focused on the bit of food.

Sync threw it over the bridge and it landed next to the fonstone. The liger chased after it immediately, leaving her sword unprotected. He bent down and scooped it up, bringing it back to Ivalee.

"Thank Lorelei that Arietta doesn't feed her ligers very much," Sync muttered, unsheathing it. Ivalee stepped back to the corner, still not taking her eyes off of him. He swung the sword, letting it chop through the bars like butter. In a few swipes, he had carved a nice, large hole. Ivalee rushed back to him and climbed out. Before she could even take another step, Sync cradled her face between his hands.

"Are you alright?" Sync questioned worriedly.

"Of course. Now let's go before the lava rises anymore." Sync had totally forgotten about the lava, focusing primarily on Ivalee's safety.

"Oh, right." By then, the lava was only a little ways down. He picked her up in his arms and ran, dodging the liger that had sat down after its snack.

--

"No!" Legretta shouted, backing up. Largo had fallen, and both of Arietta's monsters had too. None of her soldiers had been able to do anything and had died. The best any of them had done was a few shallow cuts.

"C'mon! Let's go!" Arietta urged. She was standing the opposite entrance to the one Largo had guarded. Legretta retreated, knowing that if she stayed, then she'd die. The group sheathed their weapons, glad to have it over with.

Sync came running through the doorway, panting and carrying Ivalee. He set her down, but continued to breathe deeply.

"Ivalee, you're okay!" Anise shouted, running and hugging her. Ivalee smiled and hugged her back, before looking at Sync.

"Are you alright?" She walked over to him, putting a hand to his cheek.

"Yea…I'm just f-" In the middle of his sentence, he collapsed, falling down to his knees. His eyes closed, and unconsciousness pulled him under.

"Sync!"

**Author's Note: Record time! Yes! Do I win anything? No, alright. Review please!**


	28. Warning

A red haze clouded his vision as he finally came around to waking up. His eyes blinked open, taking in the new scenery. _Since when did I get in the Albiore?_ He asked himself, sitting up. This room brought so many memories back, some good, others bad. Like when he first kissed Ivalee… That was one of the best nights of his life. He still remembered it vividly, and was glad he did. That night and the one in Grand Chokmah. The very best times he'd ever had.

Ivalee's head laid on top of her two hands, placed on the edge of the bed. A soft, snoring noise arose from her throat. She must've worn herself out… Hopefully, she wasn't the one who had to carry him here. Well, not like could if she wanted to. Sync chuckled to himself.

She stirred, twisted her head back and forth. Her head lifted up, her ruby red orbs locked on his face. She smiled brightly, climbing on top of the bed with him.

"How are you feeling?" Ivalee asked cheerfully, but he could sense her worry.

"I'm fine. What about you?" Sync replied. She stared at him for a second. "I mean, you're the one who was kidnapped and almost drowned in lava."

"I'm alright," She answered simply. He pulled her up to his chest, cradling her ever-so tightly. Her head tilted upward, her lips brushing against his jaw.

The door swung open without warning, startling Ivalee. She jumped slightly, before realizing that it was just Asch at the door. He wasn't very happy.

"I see you're awake," Asch growled, glaring at Sync.

…What the hell is wrong with him?

Sync ran possibilities through his head, stopping when he realized how perfect Asch had timed his entrance. His eyes narrowed.

"Asch, were you using the mind link again?" Ivalee glanced up at him, but her eyes were distant for a few seconds. As they came back into focus, she gasped.

"Asch! I can't believe you! Why'd you spy on us?!" Ivalee shouted. She'd been relaxed a second ago…Damn, girls could be moody.

"Sync, I need to talk to you," Asch continued, ignoring her question. Seeing that Ivalee didn't move at all, he added, "alone." Ivalee's fingers curled around Sync's arms tightly.

"I'm not moving." She declared.

"I think you should leave." Sync said, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. He really didn't want her to leave, but one look at Asch's face was enough to get him to have her leave.

"But…" She protested, pouting like a child. Sync sighed, sneaking a glance at Asch. His face was still scowling, so he dropped to lower tactics. He leaned closer to her, pressing his lips softly to hers. She happily kissed him back without hesitation.

"Don't worry," he murmured, pulling away. "after I talk with Asch, we'll have plenty of time for this." Bribery was a low shot, but he had a feeling that Asch wouldn't take no for an answer. Ivalee nodded before standing and stumbling out. The door clicked.

"Look," Asch started, his voice threatening, matching the deadly look in his eyes. "I swear, if you ever hurt her, you will personally be answering to me." There was that brotherly instinct in him. And now he knew why Asch glared at him so much.

"I promise you, I'll never hurt her." Sync replied. Asch sighed, looking to the side.

"She really does like you, more than I wish she did." He chuckled to himself. "But you make her happy. And I suppose if-" He cut off suddenly, whipping his head up. Sync could see the distant look in his eyes. "Damn it, Ivalee!" Asch shouted suddenly. There was a loud thud in the other room. He glanced over at the door curiously. Asch yanked it open with more force than necessary, possibly even breaking a hinge off. _I'll have to check on that later… _

Ivalee was standing on the other side, brushing herself off. Asch glared at her momentarily before leaving, slamming the door. _Maybe he broke another hinge…_

"What happened?" Sync asked.

"Umm, I kinda…sorta…might've used the mind link." Ivalee replied, unsure. He continued to look at her strangely. "Asch doesn't like that." She crawled up on top of him again, nuzzling his neck. After a few minutes of silence, Sync finally spoke.

"Hey, where's everyone else?"

"Inside," Ivalee answered simply. _…Inside what?_

"Huh?" She pulled back, confused.

"In the Absorption Gate."

"_What?!_" He exclaimed. She leaned back further, shocked.

"We've been on land the whole time. You didn't know that?"

"Wait…then why are you here?" Sync questioned. She should be inside, helping Asch and Luke. _Wait another second…Why was Asch here earlier?_

"I stayed behind to watch you. Asch came to check on us." Ivalee responded, answering both of his questions. He took to realization that she had left them to watch over him…even though he was perfectly fine.

"Let's go!" He shouted suddenly, jerking off the bed. Pulling her along, he got as far as the other room. Ivalee grabbed the side of the doorway, stopping both of them.

"Sync…" She started warily. "I think you need your shirt first." Sync glanced down at his chest. He never noticed that he didn't have a shirt on…

"Oh…" Was all he could say. She disappeared for a second, coming back with his shirt in hand. He grabbed it, and then continued to drag her to the Sephiroth.

--

To Ivalee's disappointment, Sync had slipped on his shirt once they had reached the entrance and continued to pull her along. She really didn't want to go, but rather spend some private time with Sync. But he was determined for her to help Luke and Asch. So they sped through the portals, trying to find their way down.

"I think we're lost…" Ivalee stated, glancing around.

"No, I know where we're going. I've been here a few times." Sync replied. She rolled her eyes. Of course, it was just like him to get them lost, then deny it. They came across a dead end, with another path below their feet. It wouldn't be too hard…for Sync, anyway. He jumped, landing with a thud on the designed pathway. He smiled back up at her, probably trying to give her confidence.

…It didn't work.

She stared blankly down, looking at the large space she had to jump. Maybe a few feet…give or take a little. And the fact that the surface she was supposed to land on was transparent didn't help.

"Don't worry, Ivalee," He called up. His voice sounded far away…not good. "I'll catch you." _Closing my eyes probably wouldn't work…_ she thought grimly. Taking a deep breath, Ivalee slid her feet to the edge. She willed herself to hop forward, just a little bit. Sync caught her swiftly, setting her upright and on her feet.

"Now that wasn't so bad." Sync grinned, kissing her forehead. She blushed, but luckily Sync had turned around before he could see it.

--

_Damn it, Yulia!_ He cursed bitterly. Ivalee was right; they were lost. He'd thought that he knew the way, but everything just seemed to look the same. It would've been better if they stayed in the Albiore.

"Sync?" Ivalee spoke quietly from behind him. He turned around, debating whether or not to tell her. "I think it's this way." She pointed to a portal on the left. Hmm, even though he wasn't sure exactly which way to go, he was positive that that wasn't it.

"No, that's not it," He said stubbornly, facing forward again. There were some footsteps behind him, too many to come from one person. By the time he looked back, Ivalee and the other person were already out of sight.

**Author's Note: Eh, no excuse this time. But I'd like to know who you think was there at the end. Please R&R!**


	29. Trusting Arietta

One second Ivalee was talking to Sync, and the next she was being pulled along to Lorelei-knows-where. The little pink-haired girl continued to drag her along, through portals and down different pathways. Ivalee couldn't memorize the way, but she at least made an effort.

"Arietta!" She gasped, trying to keep up. For someone her height and age, she ran unexpectedly fast. "Slow down!"

"I can't!" Arietta replied. "Legretta's coming, and you need to be with the rest of the group!" …What the hell was going on?!?! Arietta…_helping _her?!?! Hell must've surely frozen over.

"Wait!" She finally listened and stopped, turning around to face her. "What about Sync?"

"Legretta's looking for him, and if you were with him, that'd just make things worse." Arietta explained.

"But I don't see how my presence would affect anything."

"Well…just trust me on this." Ivalee didn't really want to trust her, but considering the past few encounters with Legretta, she really didn't want to go back.

"Alright," she sighed. Arietta looked up suddenly, focusing on something high above their heads. Ivalee followed her gaze, where she could just make out two figures. One of which, had bright green hair.

"Let's go!"

--

_This…is so…aggravating!_ Asch grinded his teeth, opening the mind link momentarily.

_Luke! Concentrate!_ He growled.

_I know! I know!_ Despite his response, Luke's concentration dimmed even more. Through the link, Asch could see vague pictures of Tear.

_Stop thinking of Tear! _

_I'm trying!_

_Try harder!_

The hyperresonance starting becoming more bearable as Luke began focusing again. Asch closed the mind link, hoping that he wouldn't have to look through Luke's eyes again if he was thinking about Tear again. _Ugh…_

The rocks descended into the core and the ground rumbled as the tremendous amount of fonons rushed to fill the empty area. Their hyperresonance slowed, then stopped completely.

Tear rushed to Luke's side as he collapsed from exhaustion. Soon, Asch knew that he'd probably fall too… Though Natalia would be at his side in a second. _If Ivalee were here, then we wouldn't have this problem… _He thought angrily._ I wonder what they're doing_… Revolting images filled his head, and he pushed them away immediately. _Shit, I shouldn't have left them alone._

He was so buy with his thoughts, he didn't even notice when he hit the ground, until Natalia was asking him if he was okay.

"Yea," He assured her. Looking to Luke, he figured that he must've been more affected. _The replica_- he stopped himself, reminded that he had made an effort to stop calling Luke that- _**Luke**__ looks like he could pass out at any second. _At least Tear was there to help. _Probably the loss of concentration really hurt him._

_H-hey!_ Luke suddenly invaded his mind. _I've caught you thinking about Natalia all the time!_

_Yea, but it wasn't during the middle of a hyperresonance._ Asch thought smugly. Luke was silent after that.

A loud thudding noise was coming from higher up. Sounded like footsteps...

"Hey!" Ivalee shouted, stumbling through the portal unexpectedly. It didn't sound like she was talking to them. More like yelling at someone. Was there someone else behind her?

She looked around, assessing the situation, apparently. _Where the hell was Sync? Wasn't he supposed to look after her?_ A sudden flash of anger flowed through him. If she was hurt while it was Sync's job to look after her, then he'd-

"Where's Sync?" Anise asked, cutting into his thoughts. Ivalee glanced at her momentarily before looking directly at Asch.

_Legretta's here,_ She stated through their link. Luckily Luke had gotten out of his head only minutes earlier, or he'd have one hell of a headache.

_Where?_

_I'm not sure, but she's with Sync. Arietta dragged me away from them so they could talk privately._ ...Huh? Arietta? So Legretta saw her?

_Was Arietta under Legretta's command?_

_No, actually._ She sounded surprised. _She did it on her own free will. I got away before Legretta saw me, and she never knew Arietta was involved. _Weird. Arietta was helping her?

_She was __**helping**__ you?_ Asch asked incredulously.

_I thought the same thing. I still don't know why, though._ Creepy. Now his thoughts were aligned with Ivalee's. Maybe having two replicas was getting to him.

_Ha, ha. Very funny._ Ivalee said sourly. Right, she could hear his thoughts. That sucked.

_You said it._ She replied. _This is starting to get on my nerves._ The thought suddenly occurred to him that he could shuffle through her thoughts. Ivalee growled as he flipped through her mind.

_Stop that!_ She ordered. Yea, like _she _had the right to order _him_ around. He could control her, and Luke. _Hmm, I wonder if I could control both at the same time..._ Though that'd probably give him another headache in the process.

Ivalee gasped, staggering backward and gripping the side of the nearest portal. Asch brought up the thoughts she didn't like to share, watching her face grow more surprised and irritated by the second. Most of them being about Sync, of course. She scowled as he thought of the embarrassing discussion of Sync and her sleeping together, all because of her one moment of ignorance.

_You are so mean._ She accused, narrowing her eyes.

_That's what you get for thinking about kissing Sync while using the mind link._ Revenge. Sweet revenge.

_If that's how you want to play,_ She loosed up a bit in her posture, thinking about Sync some more. She forced an image of Sync and her lip-locked on the bed, her fingers curled around the roots of his hair while Sync's hand pressed her body closer to his...

"Fine!" He shouted, standing upright. "You win!" Usually, he wouldn't give up so easily. But he absolutely _hated_ to see her disgusting images of Sync and her. Ivalee smirked. He slammed the link closed, grateful to have his mind to himself again.

"Asch?" Natalia gazed at him curiously, while everyone else glanced back and forth between him and Ivalee. Right, no one else had heard what just happened. Thank Lorelei for that.

"Legretta's here," he said bitterly. It's strange how they got from the topic of Legretta, to the topic of Sync and Ivalee kissing. _Ugh... _He shuddered. For the second time in the past ten minutes, he was sickened by someone else's relationship. Natalia and his relationship was completely different. That was what he tried to tell himself, anyway. Though he failed to convince himself that was true.

"I think we should be heading out now," Tear suggested, trying to pull Luke off the ground with little success. Guy sighed, walking over to help. Tear backed away a few feet first, being wary of his phobia.

"Alright then," The gynophobic blonde heaved Luke onto his shoulders with a grunt. "let's go."

--

"This is a waste of my time." Sync turned around, walking to the nearest portal. The one Ivalee had disappeared through not too long ago.

"Sync," Legretta began. "You're lost. You have no clue where Ivalee is, and you'll end up even more lost trying to find her.

"Go away," he growled.

"But I know where she is." Sync paused. "I had Arietta take off with her." She lied. It wasn't bad, and totally believable. After all, Arietta was under her command. Though she was still back at their boat outside. Tricking him was almost too easy.

"Where?"

"I could lead you there. Only if you were willing to make a deal." He turned, a deep frown etched on his face. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"What's the deal?"

**Author's Note: Yea, I just had to put that bit in there with Asch and Ivalee. I had fun writing that, lol. Oh, and just in case anyone didn't get it, Legretta lied about Arietta taking Ivalee. But what she didn't know that she was right. All the time, she thought Arietta was still on the ship outside. And you'll find out Arietta's reasons why later.**


	30. More Lies and Reveled Truths

Legretta smiled, causing Sync to shudder slightly, though she pretended not to notice.

"All you have to do is…"

--

He gritted his teeth…again. Losing to a five year old was not on his list of things to do. Yes, it was childish, but he still couldn't stand it.

Ivalee smirked, glancing back at him a few times. What he wouldn't give to just be able to get in one swing of his sword-

"You didn't answer my question from earlier," Anise interrupted, taking Ivalee's attention away from him.

"Oh." The redhead stated simply. She didn't look surprised, nor excited that Anise brought up the subject again. "What question?" Ha, like she didn't know exactly what question Anise was thinking about.

"I asked 'Where's Sync?' and you didn't answer."

"…He's…uh…" Ivalee stuttered, trying to find an excuse. Right, she never _did_ answer that… "…trying to block Legretta off." _Nice lie, Ivalee._ He doubted that anyone _didn't_ know that she was lying.

_Come up with better lies next time._ Asch smirked. She threw a glare at him.

_Get the hell out of my head._ She slammed the link shut, not waiting for an answer.

--

"Take him to his room," Legretta ordered one of the guards.

"Of course," The man replied. Sync sighed. When was he ever going to get to see Ivalee? Hopefully, she was in the room they were taking him to on this ship. The soldier led him down a hallway, through a couple more doorways, coming to a stop at a door. He unlocked it with a key, opening it just for him.

It was large, bigger than the designated Commandant's room in Daath. The walls were painted sea foam green, with a white, carpeted floor. A blue bed was against one of the walls, overfilled with pillows matching the rest of the room. Two bedside tables were next to it, one holding a lamp and the other holding a notebook and pencil. There was another door, presumably a bathroom.

"Here," The man left him to the large room. After taking a closer look, he noticed a few of the pillows embroidered with white lettering. Sync gaped as he read the inscriptions.

_Sync & Ivalee_, they all read. Did Legretta give up? Did this mean she was letting them be together now?

"I see you like the room," A voice sounded from behind him. He jumped, though relaxed when he realized it was just Legretta. She paced over to the bed, stroking the decorated pillows. "A nice touch, don't you think?"

"Where is she?" Sync demanded. If Ivalee wasn't here soon, he'd-

"Don't worry," Legretta interrupted his threatening thoughts. "she's on her way." His heart thudded. Maybe her deal wasn't so bad at all. Maybe it was…worth it. It became more and more tempting by the minute. But…dragging her away from her friends? How could he even think about it? She'd kill him if he did, that's for sure. Then again, she wanted the same thing he did… And there wasn't anything that showed Legretta was trying anything. Her deal actually seemed…kind...in a way.

Legretta managed to slip pass him and shut the door without him noticing. Sync was too absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the click of the door closing.

--

Her fingers tapped impatiently on the table. It'd been too long since she'd seen-

"Will you stop that?!" Asch complained, glaring at Ivalee. She glanced at him, then looked away. The tapping continued, but at a lower volume.

She couldn't help but think about Sync. They'd already left the island, Jade claiming that he'd probably been captured by Legretta, which didn't help ease her worried thoughts. Thankfully, she knew that if he needed to, he'd just whistle and one of Arietta's birds would rescue him. Though, if Legretta told Arietta to call the bird back, then no doubt he'd be caught. Then again…

Asch stood up from his seat, gaining her attention. He walked to the back room, closing the door behind him. Tear, Natalia, and Guy were back there, caring to Luke. Jade, Anise, and Mieu were scattered around the rest of the Albiore.

She didn't bother to ask him what was wrong, because she already knew.

Instead of going back to thinking about Sync, which would make her more worried, she decided to talk.

"Hey Noelle," Ivalee walked up from behind, sitting in the seat next to her.

"Oh, hi." Noelle responded, surprised. Well, it was expected, since there had probably only a few times they had actually talked.

"Uh, how are you?"

"I'm fine."

"So, is the Albiore is good shape?" _I need to work on socializing. _

"Yep. The only thing is that we need to stop somewhere and get some new emergency supplies. The last few times we crash-landed used up most of them." She stated cheerfully.

"Well, how long have you been flying." Err, that sounded strange. "I mean…flying…the Albiore…in the air…" Ivalee tried to think of some way to explain it.

"You mean piloting?" Noelle suggested. Ivalee nodded. "I've been piloting the Albiore 2 for about two and a half years now, since it was created. I've been with the group since then, though for the two years-" She paused. "-that you were gone, I took some time off to spend with my brother, since everything had seemed to have calmed down. But I still snuck in some time to pilot."

"That's cool." Silence. _This is awkward._

"So," The pilot began. "how are things with you and Sync?"

"Umm, pretty good. He's here most of the time, but as you can see, Legretta is always trying to keep him with their group." Ivalee rubbed the back of her head, blushing.

"If you don't want to go into detail, that's fine. I don't want to be intruding your personal matters." Noelle replied kindly. Ivalee stared out the window, looking down below the clouds. A hint of grey was the only thing interesting enough to pay attention to. The shape resembled a ship, and it happened to be headed in the same direction as they were…

"Sync!" Ivalee shouted. Noelle glanced up at her uneasily.

"What about Sync?" She questioned, though it sounded like she was questioning her sanity rather than why she blurted that out.

"That's the boat! The one he's on!"

--

After finally coming out of his thoughts, he left the room, too impatient to wait for Ivalee there. Maybe he'd run into her by accident.

Wrong.

He bumped into someone alright, though it wasn't the one he wanted to see.

"Sorry!" The little pink-haired girl apologized, standing up and brushing herself off. Sync stood up as well, though as soon as he was on his feet again, he boiled over with anger.

"How could you?!" Sync shouted, startling her.

"What?"

"Don't play innocent! You kidnapped Ivalee for Legretta!" He didn't really expect less, but he needed someone to yell at to blow off his steam.

"I did no such thing! You should be thanking me!" Arietta retorted. "I _saved_ her!"

"From what?!"

"And I didn't do it for Legretta either!" She continued, ignoring his question. "I did it because I wanted to be nice for once!"

"And how exactly is kidnapping Ivalee being nice?!"

"I didn't kidnap her! I took her to her friends!"

"Wait," He said, calming down. "So, she's with Luke and the others?"

"Of course! I knew she'd be safe with them!" Arietta explained. As the anger died down, he was able to think things clearly again.

"So, Legretta lied about having you kidnap Ivalee?" Sync asked.

"Yea, apparently so. I she'd didn't think she'd find out, but I guess she's good at guessing." Another fact clicked inside his head.

"So…that means Ivalee isn't here."

**Author's Note: Hey, guess what? I have fan art! Yay! It's xXAsalemXx's. Just go to Deviantart and search "Ivalee." Hers is the colored one. Oh, and someone anonymous reviewed. Thank you, miko. Since I can't reply, I'll just say thanks here. XD**


	31. A New Member?

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, _damn it!_" Sync seethed, slamming his head against the wall. Ivalee wasn't here, Legretta had lied to him, and now he was stuck on her damned ship! He started to walk away, still fuming.

"W-wait!" Arietta called. He stopped for a second.

"If you're going to try and flirt with me, I'd rather not." Sync continued to half stomp, half walk, down the hall.

"No, I wasn't!" She ran after him and he spun around.

"Then what?"

"I've been thinking," Arietta looked down at her feet. "And I've figured out that Anise is right. I only ever liked you and her replica Ion because they reminded me of the original. I'm s-sorry." But her eyes lifted a second later, with a gleam of light in them. "So now, I'm determined to help."

"Help?" He asked dully. "Help who?"

"You and Ivalee! Luke and Asch! All the rest of them!" The green-haired boy stared at her, still not comprehending. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" She put her hands on either side of his face, looking him straight in the eye. "I. Am. Going. To. Help. You." Sync jerked away from her touch.

"What exactly are you planning to do to help?"

"Whatever I can." Arietta replied.

"Well," Sync grimaced. "you can start by helping me get the hell off this ship."

--

"It's Sync! It's Sync!" Ivalee repeated cheerfully. She bounded up and down, not taking her eyes away from the speck of green she saw come into view and onto the deck as Noelle lowered the airship a little more. As Ivalee was watching the green speck, a small bird, probably a pigeon, crashed into the windshield.

"Ahh!" She stumbled back, falling to the floor. Mumbling a quick ouch, she stood up again.

"Hmm…" Noelle leaned closer. A bright pink stand was wrapped around it's leg, holding a little piece of parchment. The bird shook itself awake and fluttered its wings. It gracefully jumped off the front of the Albiore and proceeded to fly around, looking for an entry.

"Open the emergency window!" Ivalee piped. Anise walked over to the side and opened it, though she held an expression of pure confusion. The pigeon tumbled inside, and Anise slammed it shut before the pressure sucked anything outside.

Jade bent over and snatched the bird, which was currently hobbling on one foot and trying to regain its balance. He practically ripped the paper off, letting the pink strands drift slowly to the floor. At a closer look, Ivalee realized those were from Arietta's hair.

"Seems like your boyfriend wants to see you again, Ivalee." She grabbed the paper out of his hands and read the note, trying to hide her blush. His handwriting was scrawled and in penmanship far from perfect, and obviously written fast.

_Ivalee,_

_I don't have much time, but I want you and your friends to come get me. Legretta will probably go for supplies when we reach Keterburg, so then I'll sneak away to the casino. That's the last place she'll look for me. Meet you there._

_Sync_

_P.S. It's cold. Bring a jacket._

Ivalee sighed. Of course she knew it was cold! Only he would say something like that. Only one problem…Daath was too sunny for coats.

--

"Okay, so I sent the bird." Arietta glanced up at the clouds. There were too many to be able to see anything, but she could've sworn that they were up there. "Once they get it, hopefully they'll come rescue you before Legretta decides to lock you up in a room somewhere." Sync gave her a sour look.

"Not funny."

"I know you'd enjoy it if Ivalee were in there with you."

"S-shut up!" He glared at the floor, cheeks heating up. _So what if it's true? It's none of her business anyway._

"Look!" Arietta cried, pointing out over the sea. There, you could see the snowy land, and the port. He could even make out some of the buildings.

Without warning, the ship lurched to the side, turning. Both of them fell over, crashing in to the railing.

"What the hell?!" Sync shouted.

"Legretta's changed course!" The little girl gasped beside him. As if on cue, Legretta appeared behind them.

"Sync, why don't you head back to your room for the next couple of hours?" She asked sweetly.

"Where are we going?" He hissed between clenched teeth. _This was messing up everything!_

"Oh, I've directed the ship towards Grand Chokmah instead. It's much more hospitable there, you know." Sync glanced over at Arietta's shocked face before turning his attention back to the blonde.

"Change of plans," He growled, gripping the railing. He swung himself over, disappearing over the edge.

"Sync?!"

--

"So, let's head to Keterburg, then." Noelle lifted the Albiore up back into the clouds. It sped up, passing the ship below easily.

--

THUD! Sync landed in the spare boat, which was directly below him when he jumped. After Legretta had switched courses, he noticed the little escape boat hanging by a few wires.

Pulling out the dagger in his pocket, he sliced the strings. The boat sailed downwards, and splashed into the water. Sync slammed his foot on the engine and gathered third fonons. A burst of wind made the boat go sailing towards the land ahead.

--

They trudged through the thick snow that was piled high on the streets of the city. There had just been a blizzard not a week ago, and all of the excess snow had yet to be cleared. Jade, unlike the rest of them, had been raised to be able to withstand this kind of weather.

"I-i-i-I'm f-f-freez-zing!" Ivalee exclaimed, rubbing her arms.

"You should've listened to Sync and brought a jacket," Jade replied, easily surpassing her. She glared at his back, which was covered by an exceptionally large and warm coat.

"Y-you k-k-k-know v-v-very well t-t-that I-I don't h-h-h-h-h-have o-o-one." She stuttered back. Damn Daath weather…Why couldn't they get snow?! Then at least she'd be prepared for this. Living in one place your whole life can really screw you over.

"Hmm, it must've slipped my mind." He shrugged. _Damn rich bastard with his damned rich emperor friend who gives him whatever he damn well pleased._

"I-i-I h-h-h-h-hate y-y-" She couldn't even say that she hated him! Damn it!

"Come again?" The Necromancer teased, leaning his ear a little to her side. She glared again.

Luckily, they had reached the hotel, and she didn't have to listen to him anymore. The maids handed her a blanket, and she gladly took it, wrapping herself in it on one of the lobby couches. She wasn't the only one, though. Natalia and Asch didn't have coats, nor did Tear or Guy. Only Jade, Luke, and Anise had any. Luke had offered his to Tear, but she refused it, saying she was fine and that he needed it more.

"Hey Ivalee," Anise began after they had all warmed up. "Weren't you going to meet Sync or something?"

"R-right!" The redhead blurted. She jumped on her feet, but Anise grabbed her arm.

"Are you really going to go see him in _that?_" Ivalee looked down. Nothing different. Just her normal outfit Sync had picked out for her.

"Is there a problem with what I'm wearing?"

"It's good for traveling and all, but…" Anise scanned her outfit again. "Not for meeting up with Sync. It's like a romance novel! Two lovebirds, meeting again for the first time in a long-"

"Hey!" Ivalee interrupted. "We saw each other just earlier today!"

"But _still!_" Anise pleaded. "Let me give you a makeover! Pleeeeease? I never got to give makeovers in Daath!"

"Fine!" She plopped down on the couch again.

"Yes!" Anise cheered. She grasped her wrist again, dragging her back up and towards the door. "We're going to have so much fun! You'll get to wear a dress and makeup and-"

This was going to be a living hell.

**Author's Note: I have more fanart!!! I love you people. I wish I could give you all a big cake that says, "You're Amazing!" Lol. Okay, so this time, Kei-Ten drew it and it's up on deviantart. It's the one that from about the waist up and not colored. Cool, isn't it?**


	32. Together Again

He should've known that this wasn't a good idea. All of his stuff, including his coat, was back in Legretta's ship, in the room she had shown him. Sync cursed. The air around him had already started to feel freezing a couple of hours ago. He'd searched the little escape boat, and only found the necessary materials to survive. A blanket, a few gels, some bandages, food, water, a bit of gald, and two paddles. Eh, not much. But at least it could keep him from getting sick. Maybe. Either way, it'd be worth it to be with Ivalee again.

--

"Oh! Look! I found the perfect dress for you!" Anise squealed, pushing something in her face. She twisted her around and pushed the redhead into the nearest dressing room.

"Anise," Ivalee whined from behind the door. "this is the seventeenth one, and it hasn't even been an hour! Plus, you said that to the past sixteen dresses."

"But this is it! I know that this is the one dress that suits you the best!" Anise replied. Ivalee sighed. She'd never be able to reason with Anise. Giving up, she slipped the white fabric over her head.

--

CRASH! The boat was piled onto the snowy land in a heap. Sync jumped out, pulling the blanket closer. All he had to do was get to the casino. The other things he had found in the emergency kit were packed tightly in a bundle tied to his waist. Hmm…buying a coat before heading to the casino couldn't hurt.

--

"I knew it!" Anise jumped up and down after Ivalee had come out of the dressing room. "It is the right one!"

"Alright, it looks really nice, but how do you expect to pay for it?" Ivalee gaped at the price tag. A thousand gald?! Anise was the last person she expected to pay for such an expensive piece of clothing, especially for someone else.

"Oh, I got that covered." She replied, turning to Natalia and Asch, who were a few racks away. "Asch! Natalia!" Both of them looked up from the rack of clothing. "Can I have a few thousand glad to buy this dress for Ivalee? She's meeting with Sync and she _has_ to look good!"

"But Anise," Ivalee interrupted. "the dress is only one th-"

"Shh!" Anise hushed her.

"Whatever." Asch took a look at her dress and rolled his eyes. Natalia pulled out her coin purse, walking over to the two fifteen year olds. Anise greedily grabbed the five thousand out of her hands, pulling Ivalee to the checkout.

--

Sync trudged out of the Keterburg store, wearing his new coat. Tch, he could've done with the one he had, but that was stuck on Legretta's damned ship.

"Sync? Hey, is that you?" A voice behind him called. _Damn it…_ Turning around, he noticed five guys from the Oracle Knights he worked with a while back. The one guy who had spoken was named Ray, if he recalled right. Solid black hair with bright, sky blue eyes, pale skin. He wasn't handsome or ugly. Average, like the rest of them.

"Dude, you heading to the casino? Can we join you?" Another one piped up. Scott. Blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, semi-pale.

They didn't even wait for an answer. The one named Ray dragged him off to the casino while the others followed.

"I heard it's guy's night only tonight," A guy with deep, dull purple hair and matching eyes claimed. Sync couldn't remember what his name was. "Maybe some hot, drunken girl will drop by." All of the men snickered, but Sync inwardly cursed. He hoped Ivalee wasn't going to make a big entrance.

--

"Are you done yet?" Ivalee whined as Anise put some sort of fruity goo on her lips.

"Almost!" Anise put the lip gloss down, picked up some powder, and patted it on her cheek. "There." She spun her around on the bathroom stool to face the mirror.

"Thanks Anise." Ivalee stood up. Either way, she was going to see Sync. And she'd rather be her normal self and on time rather than be late and fancy. As Ivalee left, Anise pulled out the rest of the gald Natalia had given her and counted it up.

"After the dress and makeup…3,750 gald left for me." Anise grinned.

--

The sounds and clatters of beer glasses erupted from the door the second Scott opened it. Bright, neon lights blinded him momentarily. During the walk to the casino, Sync was able to figure out that the guy with purple hair was named Cameron, and the one with brown hair and orange eyes was named Caleb. Then the last guy…who looked strangely alike to Jae, was named Jarrett.

"I'm his cousin!" Jarrett had claimed. "We're not at all alike, though."

Sync still wanted to punch him. But it wasn't _his_ fault that Jae had gotten Ivalee drunk, so he couldn't.

"Why don't we start with poker? I bet I could still beat all of you." Cameron said. "Including you, Sync."

"Ha! He could never play poker!" Caleb laughed, smacking Sync on the back.

"Yea, I remember once when he was so worked up about losing that he actually used Akashic Torment to blow up the table!" They all laughed while taking their seats around the poker table.

"Whatever." Sync growled, pulling out some gald and placing it down.

--

Luckily, Anise was smart enough to have Ivalee buy a coat too. So Ivalee pulled the coat tighter, trying to keep as warm as possible. She could already see the casino's dazzling lights. Not many people were out right then, but she could hear the bustling and the cheers already, though muted by the door.

As Ivalee stepped up to the wooden door, she saw a colorful orange piece of stuck to it. She didn't pay any attention to whatever it said and pushed the door open…

--

"You lose!" The five guys chanted all at once. They continued to laugh at his obvious failure. One pair compared to a full house. Ray scooped up all of Sync's money, putting it in his money bag.

All of a sudden, the noise stopped. He cursed again, looking towards the door. Ivalee stood there, shocked and bundled in a heavy coat. Under the coat, he could tell she was wearing something white. A skirt maybe? Or a dress?

You'd think that on a guy's night only, they'd kick the girls out. But the owners never kicked them out. They'd welcome them in, offering something to drink. (They'd pass it off saying something like, "They're freezing! We can't leave them out there.) Not like any of the guys refused to let in girls in. Sync couldn't figure out why they even had guys-only nights when they always let any girl come in.

"Here," One of the workers came over to her. "I can take you coat for you." She nodded, slipping it off and handing it to him. He was finally able to get a good look at the dress. It was white with two skinny straps that tied around her neck. There was a silver sequined stripe around her upper torso, and her shoes were white slip-ons.

Someone whistled and she blushed. Sync looked to his right and saw that Caleb was the one who did it, and he growled. Caleb glanced at him for a second, confused.

"Sync?" Her voice pierced the silence. Over half of the heads turned towards him, while the others watched as Ivalee rushed over to his side. Slowly, everyone began to go back to their games, though the noise level stayed lower than usual.

She blinked a few times before leaning in a quickly giving him a peck on the cheek. The five guys laughed again.

"This is Ivalee, my-" He took a quick breath. "-girlfriend."

"Dude, we never expected _you _to get a girlfriend!" Scott exclaimed.

"Especially a hot one!" Caleb added. They laughed and high-fived each other. The dealer dealt the cards again.

Sync picked up his five cards and examined all of them. Ivalee was over his shoulder, reading the cards as well.

"Hey, Ivalee."Jarrett called. "You should play strip poker with Sync."

"No one's as bad as him." Cameron mentioned.

"Yea, so there's no way you'd lose!" Caleb chanted. Ivalee turned red, causing the guys to laugh.

"Twenty gald," Ray claimed, starting the game.

"I'll see your demands." Scott smirked.

"Fold," Caleb sighed.

"I'll fold too." Cameron stated.

"I'll see." Jarrett said.

It came to Sync, and he didn't like his deck. He was about to fold to avoid anymore embarrassment, but Ivalee spoke first.

"We'll see twenty gald, and raise you a hundred gald." Ray shrugged.

"I'll see your demand, and raise you five hundred gald." He affirmed. The others folded.

"I'll see your five hundred." She responded.

"Ivalee!" Sync whispered. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

"Just trust me." She replied, pointing to two cards to discard. He did as told, and took two more. Ivalee then snatched the cards from his hands and started arranging them into some order.

"What are you-"

"Straight flush," Ray proclaimed, laying down his five cards.

"Royal flush," Ivalee smirked as she tossed the cards face side up on the table. They stared in amazement, including Sync, while Ivalee gathered her money.

"I never thought I'd say this, but…" Jarrett started. "you win, Sync."

"Like hell he wins!" Ray exclaimed. "_She_ won! Not him!"

"Wow, pretty _and_ knows how to play poker." Caleb stated. "My kinda girl." Sync growled again.

"We're leaving," Sync announced, standing up. "I'll grab your coat." He disappeared in the crowd of gamblers.

"How'd you learn to play poker?" Scott asked. "I mean, you don't look like the type to play, you know?"

"Oh, well since I was usually at the Oracle Knights' Headquarters, I needed something to help pass the time when I wasn't training or studying." Ivalee answered.

"Smart, pretty, knows how to play poker _and_ can fight?" Caleb looked at her incredulously. "Wow, you really are my type."

"You're all that and with _Sync_?" Cameron gaped.

"Here." Caleb handed her a slip of paper. "Call me if things don't work out with Sync."

"I'm pretty sure things will work out," Sync snapped, appearing from behind Ivalee and grabbing the business card. "But nice try."

"Next time, go for someone who's single," Jarrett suggested to Caleb. Sync helped Ivalee into her coat and the both headed for the door.

"Come again soon!" The bartender shouted after them.

--

"Who were they?" Ivalee asked as they were walking to the inn.

"Some guys I had to work on a mission with." Sync made a disgusted noise. "I wish I hadn't."

"Why?"

"Ivalee," Sync stopped, staring at her. "You can't mean that you didn't notice how…revolting they act?"

"Umm, they acted revolting?" Ivalee tilted her head. Sync took a deep breath and starting walking again.

"Yes, they did." A few moments of silence passed.

"The one with orange eyes…he acted funny." Ivalee commented.

"Yea, that's Caleb." Sync rolled his eyes. "Never go near him again."

"Okay," Ivalee said warily. While she glanced at some of the buildings, he quickly tore up the business card from Caleb and let the pieces fall to the snowy ground.

**Author's Note: It's National Hug An Asian Day! (No kidding.) So hug an Asian! (Or you know, you could hug me. I'm Asian.) XD**


	33. Gears in Motion

**Author's Note: PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! I've been so busy. Okay, so if I'm ever inactive for a long period of time, I'm:**

**A) Busy and/or on vacation**

**Or B) Dead**

**(But let's hope it's the first choice. O.o)**

**And not to mention the fact that I lost my jump drive, which had all of my chapters on it. But luckily, I found it. **

**Okay, so on the news of fanart. TechNomaNcer28 drew Ivalee and Sync together. Go to deviant and hers is colored and has them both in it and a pretty pink background. I'm not really sure how much more I can narrow it down. XD**

**Kazegami-Inkpot drew a big combination picture, with a bunch of OC's in it, and it's the one that's…uh…got a bunch of people in kimonos in it. And not colored. XD**

**xXAsalemXx drew another combination picture, with only three chibi people in it. Um, there's three chibis and it's kinda colored. And it says OC'S in big letters at the top.**

**Thank you so much everyone! You're so awesome! XD**

Sync and Ivalee both dusted the snow from their shoes once they were in the hotel. Everyone else had already retreated upstairs to their own rooms, since it was getting dark. And not to mention the dropping temperatures outside.

By the time he and Ivalee were upstairs, he could've sworn it was below negative twenty. Sync quickly lit the fireplace, and Ivalee huddling close to it. He sat down next to her, wrapping both of his arms around her and resting his head on hers.

"Sync…" Ivalee started to say after they both were a bit warmer. "Is something wrong?"

"No," He replied, trying to sound normal.

"Well, you've been acting…a little different." Ivalee commented, snuggling closer to him.

"How so?"

"Well…" She paused, staring at the flames. "I-I'm not quite sure, but you just don't seem like yourself right now."

"Oh." He couldn't tell her about the deal with Legretta. And now that Ivalee knew something was up, it would be even harder to go through with it. "Don't worry about it." Sync leaned his head down into the crook of her neck.

"Wait, wait." She said, trying to lean away from him. "What do I not need to worry about?"

"Nothing," He mumbled.

"Sync, tell me what's wrong," Ivalee demanded.

"Nothing is wrong," Sync replied, kissing her cheek. His hands dropped to her hips and turned her to face him.

"Then w-"

"Are you warm yet?" He interrupted, changing the subject.

"Sort of, but-"

"Here," Sync pulled a blanket from on top of the bed and draped it over her shoulders.

"Thanks." She paused, knowing that he'd interrupt her again if she tried to ask about it. Staring at him, she waited for an answer. He sighed.

"Look, if you drop the subject, I promise you…" He thought for a second before continuing. "I'll buy you a present tomorrow." Ivalee continued to look at him for a few seconds.

"Fine," She gave in, resting against his chest again. Her eyes fluttered a few times before shutting. "Make it a good one."

--

The sunlight woke Sync the next morning, and as Ivalee continued to sleep, he slipped quietly outside.

Morning was still cold, but that didn't stop him as he ambled by some shops. _Now what would Ivalee want… _he pondered.

"Hey, Sync!" A voice called. _Shit._ He recognized the voice as Caleb. Glancing around, he quickly ducked inside the nearest store, which happened to be a toy store. _Hmm, Ivalee may like something here…_

The bell on the door rang again, and the chatter of the few boys filled the previously quiet store.

"Sync!" Jarrett slapped him on the back, almost making him topple over.

"What are you doing in _here?_" Scott looked around at the toys and trinkets.

"I bet he's getting something for his _girlfriend,_" Ray grinned at him. Sync ignored him, glancing for anything Ivalee might like. He strolled in the next aisle, which was filled with stuffed animals.

"What's her favorite animal?" Caleb wondered.

"Uh-" The Commandant was about to say he didn't know, but a certain animal caught his eye. A perfect little rappig stuffed animal about the size of his head lay nestled to his right. Picking it up, he smiled. Ivalee would love it.

"Rappig?" Jarrett asked. "Aren't those…smelly and dirty?"

"And lazy," Caleb piped in. Sync just rolled his eyes and headed for the checkout. A girl, probably only a few years older than himself, was working at the desk, as nervous as can be. _She's probably just trying to earn some extra gald_, he thought.

"Is that all for today?" The young girl asked as she placed the stuffed animal in the bag. Sync nodded, and pulled out his wallet. He heard the other guys talking out Ivalee, which only made him annoyed.

"So," The most annoying man out of the bunch clamped a hand down on his shoulder. "have you gotten her in bed yet?"

His wallet dropped to the floor, and all of his gald spilled everywhere.

"What the hell of a question is that?!" Sync shoved Caleb's hand away and picked up the spilt money. As he stood up and handed the cashier the money, he felt sorry for her, having to listen to these guys. She was already a nervous wreck, and they weren't helping.

Grabbing the bag, he quickly exited, hoping that it'd be possible to lose them before he got back to the inn.

"I bet he hasn't even kissed her yet," Jarrett said to Caleb.

"What's he afraid of? Her running away after he kisses her?" Scott commented.

"Well, she can run to me," Caleb responded, laughing with the rest of them. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?!

"If you must know," Sync started, whipping around to face them. "I _have _kissed her."

"Calm down," Ray advised. "We're just kidding."

"Maybe you are, but we're not!" Jarrett and Caleb slapped high-fives while laughing.

"I'm leaving," He stated, stalking back to the hotel. Luckily, this time, they didn't follow.

--

When Sync got back to the room, Ivalee was still asleep. She was curled in a ball, the sheets kicked off the edge. He sat down on the bed next to her, stroking her cheek.

"Ivalee," He whispered. "C'mon Ivalee, time to wake up." After a minute or two, she stirred, and her hands reached out for him like she was a little girl. He pulled her into his arms, letting her lean on his shoulder.

That was one of the things he really liked about her. She was grown up, and made her own decisions and followed what she thought was right. But even though she had more sense than the average girl her age, she was still just a kid at heart.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the bag in his hand. He pulled out the little animal, watching her eyes go as wide as dinner plates.

"It's your gift, just like I said last night." She played with its long, floppy ears, giggling.

"He's so cute!" Ivalee squealed. "I want a real rappig!" Sync rolled his eyes, smiling to himself.

"Here, how about this," He proposed his idea. "I'll get you a rappig after all of this is over, and until then, you'll be happy with the little stuffed one."

"Okay!" She agreed, hugging it tightly. Sync smiled, but his mood was trampled when he remembered the deal he'd made with Legretta. Sighing, he quickly set it into action.

"Let's get something to eat."

--

He decided that it was best for them to stay inside, so they took the elevator upstairs to the little café. There weren't many people up there; most of the residents in the hotel had already checked out.

Ivalee picked at her salad with her fork, spinning it around in circles, and occasionally sticking it in her mouth. Sync was also silent; staring at his plate as if doing so would solve all his problems.

"...Sync?" She started. He looked up from his plate.

"Hmm?"

"Well, you know you can tell me anything, right?" The redhead leaned forward. Sync inwardly groaned, sitting up straight.

"Ivalee, I thou-"

"I know," She cut in. "that I promised I wouldn't bring it up again, but I just wanted to make sure you knew that whatever it is, you can tell me."

His head bobbed. He _wanted_ to tell her, but Sync just knew that Ivalee would throw a fit over Legretta's idea. Especially if she knew it came from that wicked woman.

"And I could help, with whatever it is. 'Cause that's what people like us do; we help each other."

"You're right," He sighed, looking down. "Maybe...later." Ivalee nodded, turning her attention to the waiter, who was carrying dessert on a tray.

"Would you care for some of our famous chocolate pie?" She asked sweetly.

"Oh, no thank you." Ivalee responded. "Pie makes me sleepy." The girl shrugged it off and walked away, while Sync looked at her strangely.

There was a sudden slam of the small restaurant door.

"Ivalee! Sync!" Guy stumbled over to their table, narrowly avoiding the waiter with the pie.

"Guy? What's wrong?" Ivalee inquired.

"It's Legretta! She's outside!"

"What?!"

"And she's looking for you, Sync!"


End file.
